Monday, September 02, 2013

Extra Security Precautions

Bill Barratt oversees security at the Bloomsburg fair.  He says this year the board of directors will take extra security precautions such as banning people from bringing guns onto the fairgrounds. [More]
Really, Bill?  Wouldn't it be more accurate to say you oversee insecurity? And can I assume the parking lot is on the fairgrounds?

I need to find a poster for this, and put in a notice to predators looking for easy prey that everyone going to and from this is ... uh ... fair game.

4 comments:

Robert Fowler said...

" This is going to happen in the future everywhere you go,” Barratt said."

When are the people going to wake up and demand a end to this type of bullshit? We have become a nation of sheep being lead to the slaughter.

I guess they have never had a "beat whitey" night like we had here at our state fair.

RevGreg said...

Apparently the fact that we hammered them with complaints almost immediately seems to have worked. The lead article in the local paper here (Press-Enterprise) this morning stated that concealed carry with proper paperwork is okay but open carry is not, and they will not be doing body searches but will be searching bags and strollers coming onto the grounds.

I had actually been hearing this for several days informally, glad to see it made official. In know some of the hard core guys are probably going to whine about the OC ban but I personally think open carry in the sort of crowds you can end up in at this event is pretty stupid!

Unfortunately the writer messaged me for an interview for the article after I went to sleep (I work 3rd shift) yesterday.

David Codrea said...

RevGreg, I can't post your second comment because it is an entire copyrighted article. It currently appears at http://www.pressenterpriseonline.com/daily/090313/page/1/story/bloom-fair-relents-on-gun-ban but restricted to subscribers.

I will say that "NRA member" and fair president Paul Reichart sounds like quite the nitwit, and security head Barratt ought to be pressured to give names of exactly who at the local police, state police and Homeland Security "suggested" it to him.

And a bag/stroller check? Jeez.

RevGreg said...

Understood on the article, I'll have to message Pete Kendron who wrote the article and Jim Sachetti the editor and see if there is a policy they have for reproduction of the text of a single article (attribution, copyright info, etc.)

I'd give Reichart some slack, I'm sure he's playing CYA for the entire board after Barrett's release of this policy before the fair board voted on it. Such lone wolf actions are not unusual for Barrett, this isn't the first time he's acted like he doesn't need to consult anybody before making decisions which has resulted in embarrassing retractions for the Fair.