Nassau County requests no-fly zone in response to Cricket World Cup threat

Nassau County officials requested a no-fly zone above the T20 Cricket World Cup on Long Island following a social media post depicting a hooded figure flanked by drones in a stadium. The image included the words “Nassau stadium” and the date of an upcoming match between India and Pakistan.

After Nassau County was selected last year to host one of cricket’s biggest events, it built a 34,000-seat stadium to accommodate the event. Officials said they have been preparing for both security and health care concerns for six months. Nassau Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said last week that there were no credible threats, but images posted online appear to threaten spectators with drones, a rifle and a pipe bomb.

“When you got a game and a crowd as big as this, everything is credible,” Ryder said at a Mineola press conference on Wednesday.

Ryder did not address the threat’s legitimacy further, but outlined the strict security precautions his department was taking, which included forbidding drones in the public park where the matches are being held.

“If you do try to put a drone up, we will identify it,” Ryder said. “We will go back to you to take it down. You refuse, you will be arrested and that drone will be seized by the police department.”

Ryder said bags will not be permitted inside the stadium and no one will be allowed near the stadium without a ticket.

“You will not be able to hang out in the park,” Ryder said. “This is not a spectator sport from outside the venue. It’s all from inside the venue.”

Officials said they also consulted with previous Cricket World Cup venues as well as local and federal law enforcement agencies.

“This is like the Super Bowl on steroids,” Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said. “We have all the health care professionals in place and our Department of Health is on top of any issue that may come up.”