Security Changes Coming to the 2021 Minnesota State Fair

(KNSI) – Attendees of the Minnesota State Fair will notice some new security measures when they get to the gate.

The Ramsey County Board of Commissioners decided on Tuesday to consider using sheriff’s deputies from the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office for security at the Great Minnesota Get-Together after the board decided to disband the State Fair Police Department following the retirement of its police chief. The State Fair Police Department arranged its security force by using paid volunteers from departments from all over Minnesota.

Sheriff Bob Fletcher negotiated last month to have deputies take over security, modeled after security contracts from other state fairs around the country. The move reportedly ticked off board members, who before the vote aired their grievances with Sheriff Fletcher’s decision, which they say he did not tell them about just over two months before the fair’s opening day.

An agreement still needs to be drafted, and at least one board member says they should be looking to the state for help since the fairgrounds are on state property. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety says it will be providing at least 30 Minnesota State Patrol officers to help at the entrance gates. Those gates will now contain metal detectors, through which all fairgoers will need to pass.

The installation of metal detectors follows a shooting that happened in the final hours of the State Fair in 2019 as throngs of people were leaving the fairgrounds. Bullets started flying near the front gates after a fight broke out.

The tentative agreement has 50 Ramsey County deputies and other staff that will work overtime every day of the fair. It also calls for 20 deputies from Hennepin County, the state patrol, and 100 officers from other agencies. The needed daily police force at the fair is 200 officers.

According to Sheriff Fletcher’s plan, those officers will also be wearing body cameras while they patrol the fairgrounds.

Admission to the Minnesota State Fair for 2021 will be $16 for ages 13-64. Kids between five and 12 and seniors over 65 are $14. Kids under four are free. Pre-fair discount admission tickets for all ages are $13 and are on sale through August 25th. The 2021 Minnesota State Fair runs from August 26th through Labor Day, September 6th.

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