Record number of law enforcement personnel staffing the Minnesota State Fair
FALCON HEIGHTS, Minn. -- There's a record number of law enforcement personnel all around the fairgrounds this year at the Minnesota State Fair.
It's all fun and games until somebody gets hurt — and last year, someone was hurt in a nighttime shooting near the entrance to the Midway.
Frank and Rhonda Goldman, of St. Louis Park, said they make it a point to thank police officers whenever and wherever they see them — and that's happening a lot during their visit to the fair.
"We noticed the Ramsey County Sheriff, we noticed the Hennepin County Sheriff, the highway patrol, the Minneapolis Police, the State Fair Police, St. Paul Police," Frank Goldman said.
They might need to come back if they want to meet them all — there are more than 200 police officers, sheriff's deputies and state troopers from more than 60 law enforcement agencies.
"We have some from Hermantown, we have some from Thief River Falls, Glencoe, Mountain Lake, which, interestingly enough, the other thing about having cops from all over Minnesota is you learn interesting fun facts and an interesting fun fact we learned from Mountain Lake is that there is neither a mountain nor a lake in Mountain Lake, Minnesota," Minnesota State Fair Police Chief Ron Knafla said.
Just one person has been arrested so far at the fair from a domestic dispute and a handful of tickets for minor infractions.
"I think that tells me, and the message to everyone out there, this is the safest place to be in Minnesota, relatively no problems here," Knafla said. "I think the deterrent factor is huge."
At least two businesses at the fair have hired off-duty police officers for armed security.
