Highway Patrol increasing security for upcoming Ohio State Fair

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Recent mass shootings throughout the country have some in central Ohio worried for their basic safety at huge events like the impending Ohio Condition Honest. But even with the nation’s gun culture, firearms are not banned at this year’s state fair.

With the gates opening in just a few months, the Ohio Point out Freeway Patrol mentioned it plans to boost safety actions, just in scenario.

Throughout the United States, there have been more than 300 mass shootings so far in 2022. This has Ohio family members on edge to get pleasure from household-pleasant occasions like the honest.

“No issue if you are heading out to breakfast with your little ones or the condition truthful, it is one thing that you are normally heading to be imagining about,” Molly Meddock explained.

Meddock is a mother of two 4-yr-olds. She explained raising protection is wonderful, but she stated mass shootings will regularly be a anxiety for mothers like herself.

“Ever given that going for walks them about as newborns, it is been something exactly where you constantly have to have in the again of your brain some kind of program,” Meddock explained.

With the return of the condition fair, the Ohio Condition Highway Patrol has a plan, too. Lt. Nathan Dennis stated there will be amplified patrols all around the grounds, more cameras, and troopers will be on higher warn.

“So just know that though you’re there, you are going to see an increased presence of legislation enforcement. Just about everywhere you go at the state fairgrounds, you need to see a point out trooper,” Dennis said.

Dennis stated fairgoers will have to go through metallic detectors and have their luggage searched in advance of coming into.

Even so, even with the recent modifications to Ohio’s concealed have legislation, representatives from the Ohio Expo Center reported, “Fairgoers carrying a firearm, concealed or open, are permitted to enter the out of doors parts of the Ohio Expo Heart & State Honest only. If any patron carrying a firearm would like to enter a developing, the patron will be presented the option to return the firearm to his or her car or truck and return to the reasonable with an admission handstamp.”

There is no clear reply on irrespective of whether troopers will be examining for permits at the door.

“We are often on inform, we are generally on the lookout close to and are well prepared to react to anything that is necessary,” Dennis mentioned. “And hopefully we really do not have to.”

Dennis explained you should really generally have a trooper in sight though at the reasonable, so if you see everything suspicious, do not be frightened to report it.