COSTA MESA – As visitors walk up to the gates at this year’s OC Fair, they are almost certain to notice the metal detectors at entrances and the yellow-clad security personnel on the grounds.
The walk-through metal detectors – 19 of them – were added this year to accompany bag searches in an effort to boost security at a time when big- and small-scale attacks have raised anxieties about large gatherings.
The machines were taken out of service briefly last week on opening day because of the long lines. Some patrons became irritated at the long wait and went home.
But things have been going smoothly since then, fair officials said.
“Doing all this screening, yes, it might mean a few minutes standing in line but would you rather we not have all that,” said Nick Buffa, fair manager for safety and security. “Do you feel safer on the other side of this gate without all the security screening?”
The Los Angeles County Fair has had about 28 walk-through metal detectors for four years ago. San Diego fair officials said they have been using the detectors for 15 years.
A small city in its own right for the better part of the summer, the OC Fair has 100 full-time and 1,500 seasonal employees. Around 56,000 people visit daily over 23 days.
Providing a safe environment requires collaboration between fair security staff, who are unarmed, and local law enforcement agencies, Buffa said.
“We have numerous law enforcement agencies operating on the property at any given time,” he said.
That includes bike patrols and undercover sex crimes detectives with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, which has set up a command post equipped with a detention area and dispatcher.
Around 50 deputies staff the fair each day, said sheriff’s Lt. Mark Stichter.
Some patrons have been asked to leave after being spotted acting suspicious around children by undercover deputies, said Deputy Dan Villa, who helps runs the department’s daily operations.
“They’ve already ejected two… nothing criminal, but suspicious activity,” he said.
In their daily briefings, deputies gather to discuss parking or criminal activity issues and staffing for Pacific Amphitheatre concerts.
Costa Mesa police patrol surrounding neighborhoods outside the fairgrounds, direct traffic and assist the sheriff’s deputies if an incident escalates.
Buffa declined to disclose the number of fair security personnel, citing operational security concerns.
He said crimes are rare. Most problems involve drunkenness or disputes.
Some intoxicated fairgoers are taken to an area to sober up, and anyone found to be intoxicated and asked to leave is put in an Uber or alternative transportation to get home safe, Buffa said.
Security is a two-step process. Teams first make sure prohibited items don’t make it past the gates. In the past, stun guns, tasers, glass bottles, pocket knives and selfie sticks have been seized or turned in, Buffa said.
The second security layer consists of roving patrols inside the gates and teams dedicated to alcohol-related issues.
“It’s kind of a quality assurance measure,” Buffa said. “We want to ensure that our staff are sticking to all of our protocols at all times.”
As fair attendance has grown, so has the need for evolving security procedures. Aside from the addition of metal detectors, the OC Fair has dozens of cameras around the fairgrounds, and police and fire radios are linked to fair security transmissions.
Sometimes safety just requires numbers. When high-profile guests visit, a detail is assigned to escort them around. Thus was the case during opening weekend when Kobe Bryant and his family came through, Buffa said.
Others requiring extra security have included Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas and Joan Jett.
“We’ll get some of the performers from the Amphitheatre who will call us and say ‘Hey I want to walk around the fair for a while,’” Buffa said.
Justin Beiber has come to the fair over the last few years.
“We have a whole crowd that came with him,” Buffa said.
At a small booth run by the sheriff’s Explorers program, parents can have information about their child put onto a disk they can then give to police should child and parent become separated.
Irvine resident Marisol Sanchez wanted one of the disks, so she asked her 9-year-old daughter, Angelina Russo, all the pertinent information: hair color, height, weight, and so on.
“There’s so many people out in the fair and my daughter wanders,” Sanchez said. “This makes me feel more secure.”
Several feet away is one of two first aid stations that provide basic medical care. One of the biggest medical-related issues is dehydration, depending on the heat, Buffa said.
After getting her disk Sanchez walked inside to retrieve a Band-Aid for a small cut Angelina received on her leg while on a ride.
The fairgrounds is host to concerts, swap meets and other events throughout the year, but the fair is a different animal, Buffa said.
“We prepare year-round for events, but this is our Super Bowl,” he said.
Contact the writer: 714-796-2478 or lcasiano@ocregister.com
