First, I'm glad that you clarified -- it's clear that your heart is in the right place.

But...



You risk your badge and your financial well-being when you try to enforce a law you don't understand -- not that this one is that difficult.

It is your DUTY to refuse to follow an unlawful order.

I wish that was so, at least to some extent -- but the Barney Fife defense does work in court, a lot of the time, and the way things are set up, in order for punitives to punish a badly behaving LEO, he or she has to be pried loose from his municipality's checkbook. Just to pick a recent example, it wasn't the devoted public servants in their executioners' hoods who ended up paying over the Khang raid -- it was the Minneapolis taxpayers.

But not all cops at the State Fair can necessarily count on having all of their bills paid by taxpayers.

37.20 SPECIAL PEACE OFFICERS.
The secretary or the president of the society may appoint, in a writing signed by either of them, as many peace officers, as defined in section 626.84, subdivision 1, clause (c), as are necessary, both during the annual fair and throughout the year for the regulation of the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. These peace officers, before entering upon their duties, shall take and subscribe the usual oath of office, endorsed upon their appointment. They have upon the fairgrounds all the power and authority of peace officers and may, within these limits, without warrant, arrest any person found violating state law or any rule, bylaw, or ordinance of the society. They may summarily remove the persons and property of the offenders from the grounds, and take them before any court of competent jurisdiction to be dealt with according to law. Each peace officer shall wear an appropriate badge of office while acting as a peace officer. The society may also contract with the state, any county, or any municipality for police service and protection on the fairgrounds.
History:
(7879) RL s 3091; 1965 c 796 s 2; 1982 c 625 s 11; 1985 c 265 art 2 s 1

Yup; the Fair is a governmental entity.

You're right. Even the State Fair Director argued otherwise.



Law trumps policy.

April 28, 2003.
http://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us/briefly/2003/Aprilupdates/0428floor.htm


(I'm pretty sure the director then was Jerry Hammer)

I probably qualified. I didn't work the fair, but attended it with my family two days. I carried, concealed, both days.

I drove by the fair with my gun on my hip, does that qualify?

you know, I wonder if audio records of that exchange would be retained?

Tman, that was exactly what I meant. Officers from this or any other state carrying under LEOSA, who are not on duty with their own dept nor working for the fair in any way, yet in attendance.

i used to go to the fair 2 or 3 times each year and i did not worry about in the fair grounds, like many of you it is getting from your vehicle to and from the grounds.
i would look around at the other folks knowing that they had come to the fair with quite a bit of money and were probably leaving with it. we were perfect targets - tired, full on food and still had money in the pocket and walking in the dark for many blocks.
this is where i wished i was carrying as a few times i was quite happy to make it to my car when seeing who was approaching from the other direction.

Let me get this straight....people leave the fair and still have money in their pockets? How does that happen?

They go and end up not finding as much worthwhile stuff as they prepared for. $4.50 small Leinenkugel beer? I'll pass. Besides, the Swedish Egg Coffee is a whole dollar. Doesn't break the bank