Police: Crime at Arkansas State Fair Down from Last Year
By: Marci Manley, KARK 4 News
Updated: October 21, 2011
Uriel Johnson has spent 30 years on the security beat, and he heads up the Arkansas State Fair security.
"You kind of watch for large groups gathering and make sure they aren't doing anything they shouldn't be doing," he said walking down the midway.
Between his 40 or so staff members at gates and parking lots and 50 law enforcement officers, the entire fairgrounds are full of eyes and ears.
"At the fair, you can probably look up at any given time and see a police officer," said Lieutenant Terry Hastings with the Little Rock Police Department.
Police say Facebook posts like one alleging a 13-year-old girl had been beaten to death at the fair, feed people's fears.
"That has really been a problem because it causes people to read that and think maybe it's true when in fact it's not," Hastings said. "Before you know it, the rumor goes viral and it's hard to control."
"Every year there have always been somebody that comes up with this type of rumor but that rumor is absolutely not true," Johnson agreed.
In all, police have reported six crimes this year at the fair. Most of them were minor issues like drunk and disorderly behavior and one theft.
"Inside the fairgrounds, is perfectly safe," Hastings said.
A group of teenage boys were robbed over the weekend, not at the fair complex but in a nearby neighborhood.
"The potential is there that something could happen to you, because we're not patrolling those areas like we're patrolling the fair," Hastings said.
Police offer some tips to help you stay safe:
1. Park on site at the fair. Those parking lots are staffed by security and patrolled. If you park in nearby neighborhoods you don't have that event security.
2. Don't bring any valuables along with you that you don't need. Oftentimes, purses can be lost or stolen easily.
3. If you bring children to the fair, be sure to put a piece of paper in their pocket to give to a police officer if they get lost. The paper should include parents' names and phone numbers to be sure officers can get in touch with the parents if you are separated from the child.
"You kind of watch for large groups gathering and make sure they aren't doing anything they shouldn't be doing," he said walking down the midway.
Between his 40 or so staff members at gates and parking lots and 50 law enforcement officers, the entire fairgrounds are full of eyes and ears.
"At the fair, you can probably look up at any given time and see a police officer," said Lieutenant Terry Hastings with the Little Rock Police Department.
Police say Facebook posts like one alleging a 13-year-old girl had been beaten to death at the fair, feed people's fears.
"That has really been a problem because it causes people to read that and think maybe it's true when in fact it's not," Hastings said. "Before you know it, the rumor goes viral and it's hard to control."
"Every year there have always been somebody that comes up with this type of rumor but that rumor is absolutely not true," Johnson agreed.
In all, police have reported six crimes this year at the fair. Most of them were minor issues like drunk and disorderly behavior and one theft.
"Inside the fairgrounds, is perfectly safe," Hastings said.
A group of teenage boys were robbed over the weekend, not at the fair complex but in a nearby neighborhood.
"The potential is there that something could happen to you, because we're not patrolling those areas like we're patrolling the fair," Hastings said.
Police offer some tips to help you stay safe:
1. Park on site at the fair. Those parking lots are staffed by security and patrolled. If you park in nearby neighborhoods you don't have that event security.
2. Don't bring any valuables along with you that you don't need. Oftentimes, purses can be lost or stolen easily.
3. If you bring children to the fair, be sure to put a piece of paper in their pocket to give to a police officer if they get lost. The paper should include parents' names and phone numbers to be sure officers can get in touch with the parents if you are separated from the child.
