As the highly anticipated Minnesota State Fair approached, law enforcement worked with event organizers to ensure the safety and security of fairgoers, both within the fairgrounds and in the surrounding neighborhood. The collaborative effort involved a network of neighbors, violence interrupters and law enforcement agencies working together to create a secure environment for all attendees of the second-largest state fair in the nation.
Neighbor Jennifer Victor-Larsen spoke to CBS News about the community’s dedication to safety. “We started gathering, getting together, to see how we could make the neighborhood safer,” she said.
In its second year, this community-driven initiative aimed to alleviate the stresses associated with the fair, including parking, traffic and crowd management.
To bolster safety outside the fairgrounds, community ambassadors patrolled the area from 6 a.m. to midnight each night, working in direct communication with the St. Paul Police command staff. The volunteers were even trained in first-aid and de-escalation.
“They really are the eyes and ears for us out here,” St. Paul Police Senior Commander Stacy Murphy said.
According to fair organizers, cooperation between residents and law enforcement has resulted in tangible improvements. For instance, locals helped police to identify potentially unsafe intersections, which led to better pedestrian traffic management. Additionally, residents advocated for the creation of safe houses, indicated by green signs, to offer a resting place and refreshments to anyone in need.
Organizers said that regular updates would be shared through text messages and emails to keep neighbors informed. Victor-Larsen referenced last year’s incident of shots fired at the fair in stressing the importance of real-time communication with police.
“When there were shots fired in the fair, and then outside on Como [Avenue], because we were in contact with the fair, with neighbors, with St. Paul Police, with the ambassadors, we knew in real time what was happening,” she said.
Safety preparations within the fairgrounds were also intensified, with the Minnesota State Fair police force expanding from 130 officers to 170 this year. Additional security measures included increased surveillance through cameras, enhanced perimeter fencing and the involvement of agencies such as the FBI.
Fair Police Chief Ron Knafla emphasized the department’s commitment to safety.
“We have worked diligently to have a safe and secure event coming up here at the fair,” he told MPR News.
In response to the first-ever shooting incident at the fair last year, in which one person was shot in the leg during a brawl in the midway area and the shooter escaped arrest, Knafla did not disclose specific details due to ongoing investigations. However, the chief said that fairgoers could expect an increased law enforcement presence this year, including the city’s horse patrol unit and additional personnel patrolling the perimeter fence on utility vehicles and bicycles.
Knafla also stressed the importance of public cooperation.
“We can’t be everywhere and do everything. We need help from the public… If you see something that doesn’t look right, we’d ask you to call us.”
In addition to safety concerns, the Minnesota State Fair addressed the legalization of adult marijuana possession and use, which went into effect on May 1. While marijuana smoking is prohibited on the fairgrounds, Knafla said the agency’s focus would be on awareness: “Our approach is going to be education, compliance from people by just having a conversation.”
In total, a record number of over 200 law enforcement officers from more than 60 different agencies around the state helped secure the fair, which ran from August 24 to September 4.
“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,” Knafla told CBS News.
Knafla credited the increased police presence as a deterrent factor, noting on August 31 that just one person had been arrested so far at the fair, due to a domestic dispute, and a handful of tickets had been issued for minor infractions.
And the law enforcement on site did more than just prevent crime — Willmar Police Sergeant Samuel Schaefbauer and Officer Timothy Wallace were able to revive a 71-year-old man who went into cardiac arrest and collapsed at the fair on August 26, performing CPR until another officer brought an automatic external defibrillator and medics transported the victim to a local hospital, where he unfortunately passed away four days later. Schaefbauer and Wallace were awarded the Minnesota State Fair All-Star Award for their quick action and valiant efforts.
Though it was far from the mass panic of the chaotic melee experienced during the 2022 fair, the final weekend of this year’s fair was once again marred by shootings. On the night of September 2, police received a report of shots fired a block away from the fairgrounds, and later found that a man had suffered non-life-threatening injuries after being hit by a stray bullet inside the fairgrounds. Investigations of both incidents are underway.
