More Than 40 Arrests Made At Tulsa State Fair

By Lori Fullbright, News On 6

Tulsa, Oklahoma -- The Tulsa County Sheriff's Office was busy during the Tulsa State Fair.  Deputies put in more than 6,000 hours.

They had 383 calls for service and made 43 arrests.  Deputies also served six arrest warrants.

Deputies do it all during the fair: patrol the parking lots, handle the crowds, track down lost kids, make sure beer vendors aren't selling to minors, deal with unruly juveniles, watch for counterfeit money and products, toss out drunks and much more.

Sometimes during that process, deputies get hit or shoved. This year, five deputies were assaulted, including one deputy's horse.

10/9/2010 Related Story: Tulsa County Sheriff's Office: Be Mindful Of Mounted Patrol

"They think it's cool, but it isn't and later on, after we've made those arrests, then the apologies start and they wish they could take back that moment in time," said Sergeant Shannon Clark, Tulsa County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies caught one person with a weapon, four with marijuana and sent 35 juveniles to a makeshift courtroom to be dealt with by a district judge right then and there. They say unruly juveniles continue to be a leading problem they deal with, even though it does get a little better every year.

9/29/2010 Related Story: Security Top Priority At Tulsa State Fair

"Parents will take their kids and drop them off and expect the fair or law enforcement to be the babysitters and the kids get into groups and don't show officers the correct respect and we have to deal with that appropriately," Sergeant Clark said.

With all the emphasis on the parking lots in and around the fairgrounds this year, only six vehicles were broken into out of the tens of thousands that parked there.

A rather surprising statistic is the number of kids reported missing during the fair's run: 141; but all were found within minutes and most cases weren't serious.

"Parents will drop off their child and expect to meet them back at a certain location and certain time but kids don't have a watch and they play on their phone all day and the battery dies and don't have any realization what time it is," Sergeant Clark said.

Deputies feel the problems were relatively small considering how many people came through the gates in ten days.

The following is breakdown of the crimes that occurred at the fair, according to the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office:

• Assault and Battery on an Officer: 5
• Obstructing an Officer: 5
• Resisting Arrest: 3
• Disturbing the Peace: 6
• Assault and Battery: 5
• Public Drunk: 7
• Possession of a Weapon: 1
• Possession of Marijuana: 4
• Possession of CD: 1
• Burglary from Vehicle: 6
• Burglary: 1
• Trespassing: 1
• Petit Larceny: 6
• Grand Larceny: 1
• Unlawful sale of beer to a minor: 3
• Lost Property: 3
• Injury reports: 9
• Carnival fraud Act, Title 3A, S503: 3
• Trademark Anti Counterfeit Act: 1
• Embezzlement: 1