Security preps underway in New York ahead of the U.S. Open

FLUSHING, N.Y. (NBC, KYMA) - The Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is back in the swing of things ahead of the U.S. Open with practice courts buzzing and preps underway to keep 1.2 million fans safe.

The NYPD police commissioner and others announcing ticket holders should expect barriers, thorough screening, and tight security.

NYPD officers assigned to the U.S. Open will be there 24 hours a day from Sunday, August 23rd until the champions get their trophies.

There will be officers in uniform, undercover and many tactical groups like heavy weapons teams, the bomb squad and in a first, the counter drone team.

It's new, because, up until now, the federal government led the way on drone mitigation.

Now, in an expansion of the Safer Skies Act the NYPD will be the first department in the U.S. to get to do it on its own.