PERRY, Ga. —
Hundreds of thousands of people head to the Georgia National Fairgrounds each year.
It's up to their public safety team to keep them all safe, and this week, the fair announced new leadership
After a 15-year career with the Houston County Sheriff's Office, Daniel Watkins will serve as the public safety director of the Georgia National fairgrounds.
"I have a lot of experience out here in working at the fair, but also, my daughters, I have three daughters, and they show animals out here, so I've had a great experience," Watkins said.
As the director, Watkins will lead safety initiatives.
One of the most recent incidents at the fairgrounds was a 2021 shooting at the May Day fair event.
Afterwards, fairground officials discussed $100,000 in security measures. He says as part of his role, he wants to be transparent.
"We do take security and safety very seriously here, and I think it’s on us as the fairgrounds and agricenter to be open and transparent about, 'This is what we’re doing. We know that y'all are coming, we want you to feel safe and these are the measures we're taking to make sure all of those things happen,'" he explained.
While he's only on day three of the job, he says with new growth will bring new challenges he's prepared to meet.
"As the shows and events roll in, as they grow, we're prepared to grow and meet their needs as well," he said.
Maggie Lane, the fairgrounds spokesperson, says in the 2022 budget, they received funds to upgraded and invest in their security systems.