What happens when parenting is lacking
Any time you get a
large group of people to- gether there are bound to be a few security issues. The Steele County Free Fair is no exception.
But what impresses me most about the fair is how there are really never any big issues.
That’s no small feat for a celebration that reported- ly attracts nearly 330,000 people in just six days.
Sheriff Lon Thiele
released his security report last week summa- rizing his department’s involvement with the fair last month. There were the usual medicals, first aid assists, lost persons and other police calls. But one of the most troubling statistics found in his re- port was a 100% increase in trespassing notices. Thiele said the worst
problem his deputies faced was with juvenile prob- lems. Nineteen of the 22 trespassed from the fair were juveniles ranging in ages 10-17. Wait a minute,
a 10-year-old trespassed from the fair? You read it right, a 10-year-old.
Thiele said much of the
problems they faced with the juveniles stem from parents. There are some parents out there that are, well to be frank, not parenting their children.
That in of itself is disturb- ing enough. Those par- ents need a swift kick in the you know what to lead by example and not teach their kids bad habits that result in them getting kicked out of the fair. I
still have trouble under- standing how a 10-year- old can get kicked out of a family-friendly event that is tailored to kids.
One of the children trespassed for the entire fair even came back an-
other day with the parent
who had been told not to bring the kid back. It seems some real parent- ing is severely lacking.
Overall, Thiele said, it was a really calm fair. “The presence of the uniform made an impact on any problems that could arise,” the sheriff said. He brought in extra officers this year to pro- vide public safety. There were officers from five outside agencies working throughout the fair.
“It was a good team work effort,” Thiele said. “We made sure public safety is a priority. We have a zero tolerance
at the fair, and the fair board appreciates that.”
Steele Countians should feel proud of their fair, not only for the accomplishments and achievements of many
4-H, FFA and open class exhibitors, but for how safe of an event it is for all to enjoy.
Parents going in hot pursuit of a little extra parenting might make it an even better event.
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