Sheriff: Security a top priority at the Cole County Fair

Cole County sheriff’s deputies, road patrol, jail staff and volunteers will help provide security this week for the Cole County Fair, Sheriff John Wheeler said.

Wheeler said security is a top priority at the Jefferson City Jaycees Cole County Fair, which started Monday and continues through Saturday. And the department has strategically placed security cameras around the fair to act as a “force multiplier” for the sheriff’s department, Wheeler said.

The Missouri Department of Public Safety conducted fair ride spot inspections on Monday.

“Ensure the ride is set up properly, all the safety features are intact, the seat belts are operating,” public safety manager Gus Guadmuz said of the inspections.

He said operational inspections on the rides will take place throughout the week

A manager for PBJ Happee Day Shows, a carnival ride company, said a third-party inspector looks at the rides before they arrive in Missouri.

Cody Casper said employees will check the rides on a daily basis.

“They will have a basic check sheet like an airplane that they’re going down with item one, item two, item three,” he said.