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THE US Open will have plenty of security as they prepare for a massive crowd for the iconic tennis tournament in Queens, New York.
The two-week grand slam tournament began at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Monday.
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Officials believe there will be more than 1 million spectators over the next three weeks of The US Open events, including last week’s US Open Fan Week.
For an undisclosed time, the police have organized security measures in place amid a “different threat environment” and the possibility of protests.
“The eye of the world will be on Queens for the next two weeks, but the NYPD has been planning for this event for a lot longer,” New York Police Department Commissioner Edward Caban said at a Monday press conference.
The NYPD revealed that it will bring in its aviation, harbor, counterterrorism, canin, transit, and other specialty units.
The increased security will be “seen and unseen” and includes more-than-usual amounts of patrols around the event, physical barriers, screening checkpoints, heavy weapons teams, drone deployment, and explosive and radiation detection.
Deputy commissioner of the NYPD’s counterterrorism bureau Rebecca Weiner said the department understands the current landscape of world events, including the conflicts in Ukraine and the Mideast.
“There are no specific or credible threats to the U.S. Open, however we’re in a different threat environment than we were last year at this time,” Weiner said.
“We are very tuned in to what’s happening around the world with an eye on how that could impact the U.S. Open.”
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Weiner added that the police are mindful of the citywide protests over the Israel-Hamas war which have occurred for almost a year.
“We are not going to tolerate disruption or any illegal activity related to protests around this facility,” she said.
Numerous items will not be allowed inside of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
The items include backpacks, bottles, and computers.
The full list of objects is shown at USOpen.org.
As for transportation, NYPD officials said that the city’s mass transit system is the quickest and most efficient way to get to the games – especially due to the number of attendants at the event.
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“We got buses to get here galore. LIRR comes right here. We have access-a-ride for people with mobility issues. We’re having more people choose to go that way because the service is so great,” MTA CEO Janno Lieber said.
“All of those options are way, way better than sitting in traffic on the Grand Central Parkway, or on the Van Wyck or whatever those crazy congested roads are and then paying $20-$40 to park.”
Daniel Zausner, the COO (Chief Operating Officer) of the United States Tennis Association, shared that 210,000 fans attended Fan Week.
“Coupled with the two weeks of the main draw, beginning today, we will see more than 1 million fans for the first time ever,” Zausner said.
Last year, a record 950,000+ fans attended The US Open.
This year’s The US Open will conclude on Sunday, September 8.
