Dublin police have Memorial Tournament safety plans in place
DUBLIN, Ohio (WCMH) – Approximately 30,000 people are expected to attend this year's Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village, and Dublin Police said the department has been preparing for this all year with plans in place for anything that may happen.
“It is all hands on deck, this is a major marquee event,” Dublin Police Department Deputy Chief Nick Tabernik said.
Tabernik said his officers are out in full force this week at Muirfield Village and the areas surrounding it, with their day typically starting at the command center.
“This is an area for our law enforcement partners, our PGA partners, our tournament partners to have a daily briefing, sometimes multiple times a day so that we're all on the same page with the security and safety efforts,” Tabernik said.
He said out on the course, law enforcement will be hard to miss. He said officers are constantly observing.
“We expect our officers not only to be highly visible but also vigilant looking for anything that is suspicious or dangerous in any manner,” Tabernik said. “Again, just looking to secure a safe and enjoyable event for everyone that is here.”
He said the department has technology, including drones, ready to use if needed. Additionally, Tabernik said the officers will be patrolling on foot and bikes, something that works well with the crowds.
“As long as you're safe and you know what they're doing, you can kind of weave in and out of people and get past them and get where you need to go pretty quickly,” Dublin Police Officer Steven Borton said.
Officers will also be using golf carts.
“If we need to get somewhere quick, like you said, a medical event or, you know, anything that's out of the ordinary, lets us get there quicker,” Dublin Police Sgt. Ian Kovacs said.
Dublin police are also providing private security to players and celebrities for Wednesday's Pro Am.
Tabernik said it is important to him that officers interact with attendees.
“We like to interact with patrons, we like to interact with community members to ensure that they know that we are there for them and any issues that come up where we are definitely ready to address them,” Tabernik said.
He said people will also see their mutual aid partners like Franklin County and Delaware County sheriff’s deputies as well as the Ohio highway patrol.
“We're always looking for ways to enhance security and I would say that we would encourage anyone, if you see something that doesn't seem right, doesn't look right, please let the nearest law enforcement officer know so that we can come take a look and assess the situation,” Tabernik said.
Dublin Police also want to remind people to be safe getting to and from the tournament: don’t drink and drive. There are Lyft discounts available throughout the weekend by using the code “dub memorial 25.”