NEW DELHI: The security has been significantly enhanced at
Nassau County
International Cricket Stadium in New York for the
T20 World Cup
2024. The
Nassau County Police Department
is overseeing a comprehensive operation to ensure the safety of the games held at the Long Island ground from June 3 to June 12.
This includes positioning snipers at covert locations around the venue, which will host its first international game featuring
Sri Lanka
and
South Africa
on Monday.
Eisenhower Park
is set to host eight matches of the T20 showpiece, including the highly anticipated match between India and Pakistan on June 9. In response to threats from pro-ISIS groups, security measures will include SWAT teams with specialist snipers and plain clothes police officers operating inside the ground.
Furthermore, the four drop-in pitches are under continuous 24-hour surveillance by officers from the force's narcotics division, who have been reassigned from their regular duties to ensure the pitches are not tampered with.
In preparation for the upcoming event, Nassau's police department has collaborated with various organizations, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the US Department of Homeland Security, and the New York Police Department, among others.
This coordinated effort aims to ensure the safety and security of all participants and attendees throughout the duration of the competition.
"The safety and security of everyone at the event is our number one priority and we have a comprehensive and robust security plan in place," the International Cricket Council (ICC) said in a statement to BBC Sport.
"We work closely with authorities in our host countries and continually monitor and evaluate the global landscape to ensure appropriate plans are in place to mitigate any risks identified to our event," it added.
The public will not have access to the park land near the stadium on match days to reduce the risk of a potential drone attack.
Spectators will be subject to searches and required to pass through security scanners similar to those found at airports before being allowed into the venue.
According to
Bruce Blakeman
, the Nassau County executive, the level of security will be comparable to that of the Super Bowl, but "on steroids," as he mentioned in a statement last week.
(With IANS inputs)
English (US) ·