GREAT FALLS — The Montana State Fair is underway in Great Falls, and while hundreds of people come by every day to experience the food and the rides and everything else the fair has to offer, the Cascade County Sheriff's Office is working to keep those people safe.
Sheriff Jesse Slaughter said, “[What] We're mostly worried about is that we have a large presence here so people just feel safe. They feel safe to go spend their money. They feel safe to enjoy some adult beverages, enjoy the rodeos and the concerts. And they just feel safe to be here.”
Slaughter says that many of the issues at the fair are minor, such as a child becoming separated from their family, or first aid is needed.
“We're here for a lot of reasons,” Slaughter said, “Obviously, public safety is our number one priority. Good news is, though, this is a great community, and the Montana State Fair is very low key.”
The Sheriff’s Office has extra patrols on the ground at the fair, as well as people stationed at the command vehicle near the Four Seasons Arena if families need a meet-up point, or if more major problems come to a head.
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“It usually depends,” Slaughter said, “Most of our issues are minor things, disorderly conduct. Maybe someone had too much to drink at the beer garden. It's just time for us to facilitate them a ride home. Most of our stuff is on that level.”
He continued, “This is a family-friendly event, and if you come here and you have ideas in your mind that you're going to make it something else other than a friendly event, we're going to make you leave or find a place for you to live for the night.”
The Sheriff's Office wants everybody to enjoy this family friendly event, and if you see something suspicious, say something, by either reporting to security or calling 911.
