Some changes are afoot at the State Fair of Texas, a highly anticipated event ready to kick off on Friday.
New measures ranging from weapon scanners to an admission policy for minors will be in place. As such, fairgoers might want to familiarize themselves with these changes before heading to Fair Park.
As previously reported in The Dallas Express, State Fair officials decided to institute a new policy by which every minor 17 years old or younger is required to have a parent, guardian, or chaperone 21 years or older with them to enter the fair from 5 p.m. Chaperones might want to have their IDs ready for inspection by safety team members — all retired police officers — to avoid slowing down the line.
“We will advise [unaccompanied minors] real quick that there’s a policy that they may not be aware of and then … then we’ll just share with them that they’re ineligible to come into the park at that time,” explained Jeff Cotner, director of security for the State Fair and a retired deputy chief of the Dallas Police Department, to NBC 5 DFW.
Moreover, there can only be up to six minors per chaperone.
Although constant adult supervision of minors isn’t required once inside the fair, officials encourage chaperones to at least have a system in place to remain in contact while enjoying the festivities in the 277-acre Fair Park.
“Our No.1 priority is to have a safe State Fair of Texas and we feel this is the next measure we can put in place to ensure that we’re creating that safe environment for all of our fairgoers,” said Karissa Condoianis, a State Fair spokesperson, according to Fox 4 KDFW.
In another bid to boost safety at the fair, a weapons detection system will be in place at all fair park gates.
These scanners differ from metal detectors in that they have been designed to detect knives, guns, and other weapons while ignoring common metal items such as cell phones.
The system should ensure a seamless entry process, as Condoianis explained, “This is going to be where you won’t have to take your phone out of your pocket. You won’t have to put your bag down.”
Anyone found carrying a weapon will be told to leave the fairgrounds.
Fairgoers might also notice an increased police presence and new surveillance cameras compared to previous years.
A police stand can be found at the entrance of the food hall, allowing two police officers to oversee the crowds. More than 60 surveillance cameras were distributed around the fairgrounds.
A gun scare incident occurring in the final days of last year’s fair contributed in part to the new safety measures.
As covered previously in The Dallas Express, a group of teens reportedly tried to stir things up by initiating a false shooting scare on October 14. Panic ensued, as videos circulating on social media demonstrated.
“That elicited a response, a fear response, which unfortunately in this country, our citizens are conditioned to that,” Cotner said.
Several people were injured in the chaos, and the fairgrounds closed an hour early.
