Market Place swap meet moving from sheriff’s deputies to security guards

The Orange County Fair Board approved a new security plan this week for the weekend swap meet at the fairgrounds, a decision that is expected to save its operator thousands of dollars a month.

The Orange County Market Place, run by Tel Phil Enterprises, had been paying $4,600 a weekend for two Orange County sheriff’s deputies to patrol the event.

With the board’s permission Thursday, Tel Phil will now use five unarmed fairgrounds security staff, beginning Oct. 3, at a cost of about $2,200 a weekend.

Nick Buffa, fairgrounds safety and security supervisor, said the Market Place is a low-risk event that, historically, has had a low occurrence of criminal activity.

“We have to balance the facts in front of us [considering] the low rate of occurrences,” he said.

Buffa said his team talked about the idea with sheriffs deputies, who gave their approval.

He noted that in the risk of an emergency, the Costa Mesa Police Department is across the street and sheriffs are a short drive away.

Fair Board directors said they still want the ability to augment some Market Place events with sheriffs or only use sheriffs, if needed.