“To us, any threat is believable until it becomes implausible,” Police Chief Patrick Ryder said.
| Update
MINEOLA, N.Y. — Fans will flock to Eisenhower Park to watch the ICC Cricket T20 Men's World Cup Qualifier.
“We've taken every precaution and preparation to host such a large event,” said County Manager Bruce Blakeman.
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Nassau Police Chief Patrick Ryder said the department has been planning for six months for the event, which begins June 3. Ryder said the department takes all threats seriously.
“Every threat is believable to us until it's not true,” he said.
“We don't take the threat lightly,” Blakeman said.
The police chief said a second fence would be erected around the stadium, which would act as a containment zone. “Nobody will be able to enter the stadium grounds unless they pass a magnetometer,” Ryder said.
Blakeman said an additional 100 officers will be added to boost regular staffing across the county.
No bags will be permitted at sporting events, with the exception of clear bags for medical purposes.
Matches at the newly built 34,000-seat venue will run until June 12th.
PSEG Long Island said it had prepared electrical infrastructure to provide power to nearby facilities in support of the event.
“The stadium itself is powered by its own generation, but in the interest of public safety, PSEG Long Island crews have been working to enhance power delivery to the area surrounding the stadium,” said David Lyons, interim president and COO of PSEG Long Island. “They have performed inspections and maintenance on certain transmission and distribution infrastructure that provides power to facilities around the stadium.”
Finally, the county commissioner is ready to welcome people from all over the world.
“I'm sure this will be a very exciting and fun time for Nassau County,” Blakeman said.
