ST PAUL, Minn — We are now hours away from the Minnesota State Fair.
Nearly 2 million people are expected over the 12-day run, and that may include some high-profile politicians.
As vendors prepared their booths Wednesday, Minnesota State Fair Police Chief Ron Knafla outlined security plans to keep everyone safe.
Knafla says the agency has not received any reports of threats but is prepared to respond to any emergencies. And while there weren't any major problems last year, he says there are several security improvements this year based on feedback from last year.
"This will be 36 years for me," Knafla said. "We definitely have more officers than we've ever had in the past."
Knafla says there will be 185 officers from 65 different agencies statewide. That's 17 more officers than last year. The Ramsey and Hennepin County Sheriff's Offices, DNR and other agencies also have their own presence.
"There's officers assigned to every area of the fairgrounds that we have broken down into our patrol districts in addition to officers in squad cars, and we have plain-clothes officers that will be walking around as well," Knafla said. "You might be walking or standing in line to get a pronto pup next to an officer and you won't even know it."
While safety is priority, Knafla says the fair provides opportunity for law enforcement to connect with each other and community.
"It recharges our batteries," he said.
Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt was on site Wednesday and was already in the spirit.
"You will hear in these 12 days, 'Thank you for being here, thank you for what you do,'" she said. "I'm really excited about our community outreach team being here, you know, we have a new booth."
Adorned in QR codes, the new booth serves as a drop-off site for expired or unneeded medications. The effort aids in the county's multifaceted approach to fight the opioid epidemic.
Also new? Chief Knafla says there are additional vehicle barriers and security cameras throughout the fairgrounds this year. Some fencing was also updated, making it harder to jump over, and lights now face outward toward Como Ave.
Fairgoers can expect even more activity this year if Gov. Tim Walz stops by to campaign as the democratic nominee for vice president. Knafla says he's been in touch with Secret Service since 2023, knowing 2024 would be an election year.
"But we have not gotten official word that he's coming," he said. "Certainly when we do, if we do, we will coordinate with the Minnesota State Patrol and the Secret Service because he's still the governor so he still has state patrol detail as well."