Amid all of the food, games, and fun at the North Georgia Agricultural Fair at the North Georgia Fairgrounds in Dalton, there's also a chance to learn some valuable safety information from the Dalton Police Department.
The department is maintaining an information table at the fair, handing out brochures on topics ranging from traffic safety, the dangers of DUI, as well as home safety and firearms safety. The department is handing out free gun locks, and also plenty of stickers for kids.
But, one of the biggest hits at the fair is the Dalton Police Department's "Deputy Chief". He's not a living, breathing human officer, he's a remote-controlled animatronic robot riding a remote-controlled police car. The "Chief" can do more than just drive around and show off his flashing red-and-blue lights, though. Using a remote microphone headset, he can also "talk" to children about the importance of buckling seatbelts and not talking to strangers. And, since he's not allowed to get on any of the rides at the fair, he also likes asking children which rides are the most fun and which ones are the most scary.
Nicknamed "Chief Zamboni" by one of the officers working the information table at the fair, the "Deputy Chief" has drawn crowds of children every time officers drive him around the fair. He's a fun toy, but he's also part of the department's mission to make Dalton a safer community through partnerships between officers and citizens. Teaching children at a young age that they can trust police officers to keep them safe helps make them feel like they can contact officers in times of need.
Below: The DPD's "Deputy Chief" rides the beat at the North Georgia Agricultural Fair, taking time to talk with kids, and the Dalton Police hand out important safety information at the department's information table (click on the thumbnails below for a larger image)
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