Iowa
Officials say Iowa State Fair has beefed up security
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa State Fair has stepped up security following the recent mass shootings in Ohio and Texas.
Des Moines police spokesman Paul Parizek says there are more uniformed officers and plainclothes officers on the grounds. One hundred more security cameras have been installed and are being monitored while the fair is in operation. The fair opened Thursday and closes Aug. 18.
Doug Phillips commands the state fair police, and he told station KCCI that fairgoers may see officers in places they’ve not been stationed in the past.
Parizek says security was a major concern before the recent shootings, given the big crowds and the number of presidential candidates who visit. But he says the shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, have raised security awareness.
Parizek says the fair is very safe, but you can never be too careful.