Sheriff Leon Lott: "Building Unity in the Community"-- Keep Safety Top of Mind, While Enjoying Family Fun.

As your Sheriff for the last 16 years, I have proudly led the Department with the philosophy and management style set on the corner stone of “Building Unity in the Community” through professionalism, commitment, vision and passion.

The SC State Fair begins Wednesday October 10, 2012- this yearly event is filled with entertainment and fun for family and friends. But it is still imperative that citizens are mindful of ways to avoid becoming a victim of crime while visiting.

Sheriff’s Deputies will be working with the Fair Association, again this year, to provide a family friendly environment. Your Deputies will be patrolling the fairgrounds and a command post will be set up at the backside of grandstand; with another post set up at the HeathBuilding near the rocket for first aid and lost children. We are at the fair to interact with you, to help you and to make the fair a safe and fun environment.

I ask that you take the time, when you arrive, to point out the command posts to your children and tell them to trust and find a uniformed officer if they become lost or scared. Here are some other important tips:

Tell your children to always ask you or the adult in charge for permission before:

going anywhere with anybody
leaving the group
going somewhere with somebody other than a uniformed officer or security personnel

Please make sure your children:

tell you where they are going
tell you how they are getting there
tell you who they will be with

Have a secret code word to be used in case of an emergency and someone tells you that you need to come with them, you can ask them for the code word.

Parents please check in with your young adults or have them check in with you periodically (cell phones can come in handy for this process) – just make sure if they are calling you that they set an alarm on their phone as a reminder.

Staying safe should be a priority for everyone. At events like the State Fair (where there are large numbers of people in close quarters) there is the chance that criminals could see this as an opportunity to make you a victim. I ask that you remain alert and are aware of what is going on around you -- by doing this you are less likely to be a target. By taking a few simple precautions, you can discourage criminals and reduce your chances of becoming a victim:

Try and go to the fair in groups, this should help to prevent and potential predators waiting to commit a crime.
Take small purses or bags inside with you and try to avoid using large purses and pocketbooks – unfortunately they’re good targets for purse snatchers and can fall off amusement rides.
Do not flash you cash – this will only attracted unwanted attention and make you a target for robbery or pickpockets.
Don’t carry large amounts of cash or wear an excessive amount of jewelry.

Taking a proactive approach can mean the difference between staying safe or being a potential victim.

Parking is available inside and outside the grounds, also use caution and be aware of your surroundings, and watch for who may be watching you. I recommend making sure all valuables are out of sight and that your car is locked.

Finally, I ask that if you see anything suspicious or seeing anyone causing problems at the fair, to please notify a deputy or security personnel immediately. They will be asked leave and may be subject to other enforcement action.