Ohio State Fair to crack down on teen takeovers, increase parking surveillance
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News Sports Business Opinion Real Estate Advertise Obituaries eNewspaper Legals PUBLIC SAFETY Ohio State Fair to crack down on teen takeovers, increase parking surveillance Nora Igelnik Columbus Dispatch Updated July 28, 2026, 3:11 p.m. ET The Ohio State Highway Patrol is increasing security at the 2026 Ohio State Fair to address concerns like teen takeovers and car break-ins. A chaperone policy requires minors to be accompanied by an adult 21 or older after 6 p.m. Additional security cameras have been installed in parking lots to help prevent vehicle break-ins. Officials recommend fairgoers leave firearms at home or in their vehicles for public safety. Parents are encouraged to use lost-child booths and create a family reunification plan. While the 2026 Ohio State Fair is about fun, food and thrills for the whole family, safety may be the most important contributing factor to the event's success.
Adding to this, The Ohio State Highway Patrol provides security services for the state fair, with other law enforcement, like Columbus Division of Police, handling situations outside the fair.
Meanwhile, "This is the largest concentration of state troopers that you're going to see in one given area, at any given time," Lt. Brice Nihiser shared at a July 28 press conference.
Notably, Traditionally, the state fair sees 900,000 visitors during its run, Alicia Shoults, deputy director of experience operations for the fair, shared at the press conference. Prominent safety concerns for this year include teen takeovers and car break-ins.
As per the latest buzz, Teen takeovers refer to large groups of teenagers gathering in public areas and causing disorder. In early June, around 500-800 middle and high schoolers were socializing at the St. Catherine Fun Fest when fights broke out and eleven people were arrested. The event was shut down.
In further updates, "With the teen takeovers and everything else, we want everyone to have a safe experience at the fair," Nihiser shared. "Just simply put, we're not going to tolerate those takeovers where it gets violent, where they're disrupting other people's time at the fair."
On top of that, Large groups of people gathering in one area and disrupting foot traffic will be broken up, Nihiser shared. After 6 p.m., minors have to be accompanied by someone who's 21 or older that's either a parent, legal guardian or an adult the minor knows.
"If it's after 6 p.m., and we escort [a minor] off state grounds, we're making sure they're reconnected with a parent or guardian or another adult," Nihiser shared. "And if it's a crime, then we're investigating that crime."
Source: The Columbus Dispatch