Fair Beefs Up Security To Combat Teen Gangs 10 Officers Added To Staff After Gang Incidents Last Year

Officials have beefed up security at the Eastern Idaho Fair to prevent any recurrence of last year’s teen gang activity and the disruptions at the night concerts.

Ten more officers were added to the cadre of 47 to continue around-the-clock coverage at the fairgrounds throughout the fair’s run this week.

Fair Security Chief Bill Waters said teen gangs from Idaho Falls, Pocatello and Fort Hall as well as from Blackfoot have already been identified as potentially disruptive forces, and he said many of the security officers are already familiar with their members.

“So we can spot them easily and remove them from the fairgrounds,” Waters said.

A year ago, one youth was threatened with a knife and three others were surrounded by a gang of teenagers and verbally abused. The gangs travel in groups of about 12 and carry easily-concealed weapons like knives and clubs.

This year signs are posted declaring that the fair has the right to refuse entry to anyone, and Waters said that “allows us to charge those who have been escorted out with trespassing if they come back in.”

But he recommended that fair-goers travel at least in pairs, avoid unlit areas and immediately notify authorities of any problems.

And in an attempt to eliminate disruptions at the shows, alcoholic beverages are banned.