Minnesota
Minnesota State Fair still needs to hire 100 officers, asks for help
The Minnesota State Truthful runs this 12 months from Aug. 25 by way of Labor Day, Sept. 5. (Minnesota State Truthful)
FALCON HEIGHTS, Minn. (FOX 9) – The Minnesota State Truthful has requested the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Workplace for assist with safety on the Nice Minnesota Get-Collectively this 12 months, because the police division is 100 officers brief.
The truthful dismantled its police division following police chief Paul Paulos’ retirement in Might 2021, with Ramsey County offering policing providers on the 2021 occasion. Then final winter, the truthful reinstated the Minnesota State Truthful Police Division, with Commander Ron Knafla of the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Workplace serving as the brand new police chief.
In a letter to Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher, from Knafla and Minnesota State Truthful Common Supervisor Brian Hudalla on Aug. 4, the truthful formally requested help from the sheriff’s workplace to help efforts to make sure fairgoers’ security.
The letter stated they have been working to reestablish the Minnesota State Truthful Police Division, and their efforts have been “profitable.” They’ve employed 99 sworn officers and proceed to recruit and rent with the purpose of getting 200 officers.
However they anticipate they are going to “fall a bit shy of that quantity,” the letter explains. Knafla and Hudalla stated they count on attendance numbers to be much like 2019, pre-COVID-19 pandemic, when greater than 2 million folks went to the truthful.
The truthful says it can pay the sheriff’s workplace deputies $80 per hour, per state regulation. The truthful seeks assistance on weekend evenings, and says it additionally needs to request using the county’s neighborhood ambassadors, saying “they have been integral to our operation in 2021 for deescalating conditions.”
Chief Deputy Dave Metusalem of the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Workplace on Monday despatched an e mail to staff that was obtained by FOX 9, saying the sheriff’s workplace has agreed to ship help to bolster the truthful’s police division.
“The precise type of that help will proceed to be mentioned with truthful officers over the subsequent two weeks,” Metusalem stated.
Metusalem requested sheriff’s workplace staff point out their availability and need to work additional time through the truthful’s 12-day run from Aug. 25 to Labor Day, Sept. 5.