County fair ideas

[deputydawg]

I am trying to find ideas for a booth at our county fair in July.<br />We usually set up a booth and fill it with handout materials on drug abuse, defensive driving pamphlets atc. We give away gun locks, coloring books for the kids, stickers and other junk. <br />This coming year I want to find something more interesting for the public. This is all a public relations thing. This year we have a little more budget to spend so want to give away something a little different. <br />I am thinking of parking our patrol cars outside and demonstrating some of our equipment. Also making a few videos on some of our equipment like the tire spikes. Other things we can demonstrate is our thermal image cameras, night vision goggles, and of course our lights ands sirens for the little kids.<br />Will also buy a few basketballs and footballs to have a few free drawings for the kids. <br />Any other ideas of things to do or items to give away? Kind of a PR move but also a thank you for the public support.

 

[heycods]

Re: County fair ideas

Take the little kids for a ride with lights flasshing and sirene going, always works for the fire dept. at the Christmas parade. OOps I said Christmas, I meant Festive Season!

 

[neumanns]

Re: County fair ideas

Tell every kid that comes through that you know they have been bad and your watching them just waiting for a chance to arrest them.....Oppps my bad, you wanted it to be more fun for the kid's not you!<br /><br />Is the space big enoufgh to pull in a squad and open the doors so they can get in and check it out? Perhaps with the battery disconnected.<br /><br />Perhaps you can find a source for CHEAP plastic handcuff's as a givaway...Every kid likes playing cop's.

 

[LadyFish]

Re: County fair ideas

I went to a health fair where the Sheriff's Department had a booth on drunk driving. They had this banner on the floor which you had to walk and goggles to wear in order to simulate drunkeness, it was wild. It was also the most popular booth there.<br /><br />They had a lot of great handouts and some info for teens on driving under the influence.

 

[aspeck]

Re: County fair ideas

I have seen the "drunk goggles" in operation. That would be neat to demonstrate.<br /><br />Maybe a demo of your sniffing dogs and how they do their job?<br /><br />Should be lots of cool demos that you do in the course of your job that would be a real eye-opener to those that tend to be on the wrong side of the law and super interesting for those that are on the right side of it.<br /><br />How about giving away a couple of unregistered hand guns that you have taken off some perps? Would be a lot of good will and wouldn't cost the department anything!

 

[deputydawg]

Re: County fair ideas

We did use the goggles about 8 years ago, very popular. They cost about $650 for the set, but can borrow from the state. Good idea there.<br /><br />I like the gun idea. We usually have a yearly sale and sell the legal ones off for next to nothing. Usually a blind auction. Now we only have a few 9mm, a short short shotgun, a 40 cal. and a little 25. Could have a drawing? Think of all the PR we would get from that?<br /><br />Have enough room to park a car for demo, let the kids turn the lights and siren on and stuff. Our insurance won't let us take them for rides. <br /><br />Don't have a dog here, when we need one we use the neighboring counties dog, but that dog retired last month and the new one will be in training.<br /><br />The handcuffs are a great idea for the younger kids. Have to look at prices there, that would be reasonable enough I would think. <br />I used to be able to order plastic badges with our name on them, but I don't know where to go to get them these days. Pens pencils and rulers go well too, but am not sure where to order them from either. Want to stay away from teh DARE stuff, that is getting old and boring too.

 

[aspeck]

Re: County fair ideas

If you do the gun give away, can I register for one?

 

[bubbakat]

Re: County fair ideas

DD this is something I did at our county fair.<br />Went over good with the kids.<br /><br />We had stick on badges and swore them in for a day. <br />My daughter is real good at face painting and we did that and it went over real well.

 

[Braxton]

Re: County fair ideas

talk about fishing and boating safety, you may be able to give away sebco reels for kids or something. just a thought. good luck

 

[deputydawg]

Re: County fair ideas

Braxton, that's a good idea. I am a boating safety instructor but there has not been enough demand for the classes that I haven't done one in years, maybe that would spark interest again. Cabellas used to give us stuff for hunters safety classes, maybe they could help with kids fishing poles or something. Thanks.<br /><br />The Jr. Deputy for a day idea is also good. We have to stay away from anything that would tie us there too much. If we did face painting, then had to leave for a car wreck or something it might be too upsetting for the kids that miss out.<br /><br />We also thought of a dunking booth to collect money for charity, but we are not allowed by law here to collect money. We could do the money side on our own, but there would be someone in the group that would complain about it calling it a department action.

 

[18rabbit]

Re: County fair ideas

- Many states have free copies of the constitution, both federal and state in a publication. Maybe you can contact someone in Lincoln about getting copies to hand out, if NE has them. (I admit it, I looked. Thought the cap was Omaha. )<br /><br />- Info about home alarm policies/requirements for folks that have them. In my area, how the home alarms process works/are responded to is a greatly misunderstood thing.<br /><br />- I think of law enforcement as providing a service. Perhaps a display showing ALL of the services your department offers, and having info available for each of those services. <br /><br />- Maybe a handout of contact info for each of the services, too, including phone numbers and web addresses.

 

[FLATHEAD]

Re: County fair ideas

Originally posted by neumanns:<br /> Tell every kid that comes through that you know they have been bad and your watching them just waiting for a chance to arrest them.....

LMFAO @ NEUMANNS

 

[deputydawg]

Re: County fair ideas

Good new ideas from everyone. Now I have too many to choose from.<br /><br />Having a meeting tonight with the powers that control the purchasing and stuff. Will throw all of these out for them to ponder.<br /><br />I may even set up our mobile forensics equipment and demo some of that. It is always cool playing with Luminol and stuff like that.<br /><br />Wonder if it would be over the line if I gathered our entry team and did some demonstrations for the crowd? Some dynamic entries with explosives would be cool, love playing with det. cord more than the forensic kits. A few flash grenades would stimulate the crowd a little. <br /><br />I really like the idea of showing all of the aspects of what we do with all the services we specialize in. We are a small enough department that people view us as a bunch of barneys. Maybe letting them in on the level of expertise and training we have would enlighten them. It would also serve to show what kind of crimes we deal with. We tend to protect them from what is going on when they go to bed. Keeps the panic level down.<br />Thanks again for the ideas everyone, keep them coming.

 

[roscoe]

Re: County fair ideas

Free samples.<br />Mix up a little X, some meth, and some micro dot.<br />Let all the kids and parents wet a finger and dip it in the bowl, then lick it off.<br /><br />They will be trippin so bad they will be scared away from drugs for life.<br /><br />The ones coming back for seconds and calling their friends, are the ones that get arrested.

 

[fireman57]

Re: County fair ideas

You don't have to collect money. People should be allowed to donate money though.

 

[deputydawg]

Re: County fair ideas

Good idea Roscoe, that would also clean out my evidence locker. Would go well with the free guns drawings. Also cleaning evidence. <br /><br />Fireman we are not allowed to accept donations. If I go together with the city police departments in the county they can take donations, but we can't. Something about elected officials and profiteering.