TAMPA, Fla. — With thousands of people attending the Florida State Fair, only a handful -- relatively speaking -- were told to go home.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office reports this is the second year in a row that the number of incidents on Family Day has decreased.
About 46,000 people attended the fair Feb. 7, the first Friday in which Hillsborough County students are given the day off and a free ticket to the grounds, according to a news release
There were 13 people ejected from the fair, with three arrests.
The sheriff's office says two of the arrests were robbery and grand theft warrant arrests while the one was fair-related, resisting without violence.
There were 39 ejections and arrests last year, and 47 such incidents in 2017.
"I couldn’t be happier with the decrease in incidents we had at the Florida State Fair on Friday night, and I truly believe this success is due largely to the proactive approach we have taken to prevent crime by increasing the presence of law enforcement and community leaders over the past few years,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister said in the release.
An increased security presence largely stems from the 2014 death of 14-year-old Andrew Joseph III, who was hit and killed by a car while trying to leave the fairgrounds. At the time, many other young people told to leave, leading to a chaotic situation.
RELATED: New Florida State Fair foods: peanut butter ramen burger, jalapeño ice cream, s'mores on a stick
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