With NBA Finals, World Cup and America's 250th, NYPD facing "unprecedented demands" this summer
New York City is in for a busy summer, with several major events taking place, including the World Cup, the NBA Finals, and America's 250th birthday celebrations.
The NYPD is assessing the threat level and making major staffing adjustments to ensure public safety.
NBA Finals adds to already-busy summer
Monday night's Knicks victory means the team will host Game 3 at Madison Square Garden in less than two weeks, on Monday, June 8. Game 4 is also set for MSG on June 10. It already would've been a complex security event, but Wednesday, President Trump said he'll likely be at the Garden for one of the games, too.
On Saturday of that same week, the first World Cup match at MetLife Stadium will take place.
"We'll be able to manage this with support from NYPD. My transit police are involved, our state police are involved," Gov. Kathy Hochul said.
Less than a month later, on July 4th, New York City is going all out with celebrations for America's 250th.
"Unprecedented demands" on NYPD
In a department-wide memo Wednesday, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch cited "unprecedented demands" and said officers will move from 8- to 12-hour tours July 1-7.
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime summer – zero hyperbole – a once-in-a-lifetime summer, and we're scaling everything up," Justin Brannan of New York State Major Event Operations said.
The New York state Disaster Preparedness Commission met Wednesday at the Javits Center. Representatives from dozens of agencies, incuding the New Jersey State Police, discussed the potential of cyber attacks, infrastructure interruptions, and infectious diseases.
"We're very well prepared," Ira Tannenbaum of New York City Emergency Management said. "We are thinking about the potential impacts and how we would handle it."
The Coast Guard also briefed leaders, sharing that on July 4th there will be a massive amounts of ships in the Hudson River and more than 100 aircraft above.
Lone actors a concern
"So what the Knicks add is a wrinkle to all of the planning. Potentially, Game 6 will go on at the same time as the France-Senegal game. So there is planning about how we're going to have people going in and out of Penn Station," said Terry O'Leary, acting commissioner of the New York state Department of Homeland Security.
O'Leary said there's an increased threat environment in terms of lone actors being inspired by events overseas, but added that New York and the FBI are prepared.
The NYPD awarded an emergency contract Wednesday to purchase concrete blocks to mitigate the risk of potential terrorist attacks at large-scale events.
