BUSINESS owners and punters will be the “eyes and ears” of the cops as the entire community is recruited to combat threats from eco fanatics at The Open in Troon next week.
Specialist cops have been building a “network of vigilance” to tackle criminal activity – including terrorism – amid fears yobs from Just Stop Oil want to bring the tournament to a standstill.
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Cops have been issuing alert leaflets to locals in the Ayrshire town ahead of 250,000 golf fans descending on Royal Troon, starting with practice days from Sunday ahead of the final major of the year teeing off on Thursday.
And it has emerged police acting on intelligence are primed to pounce on any protesters – with crack teams tasked to scour CCTV cameras and vehicle number plates to pinpoint any known ring leaders.
Undercover cops, armed officers and horse and dog units are also being drafted in.
It comes after play in Liverpool last year was brought to a grinding halt as eco yobs in Just Stop Oil tops slipped through security and coated a green with orange powder.
Chief Superintendent Alan Waddell, police lead for The Open, said: “The 152nd Open will be one of the biggest events Ayrshire has ever hosted and it should be a historic occasion for the local community and golf fans across the world.
“We want everyone to be reassured by our visible presence and have the confidence to report anything that seems suspicious.
“Everyone has a part to play. We’ll have eyes and ears everywhere.”
A police statement added: “Specially trained Project Servator uniformed officers will be engaging with local businesses and those attending the event by handing out leaflets and explaining how people can play their part.”
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A source close to preparations for policing big events added: “The Open is such a high profile event with a real possibility of protest disruptions by groups like Extinction Rebellion or Just Stop Oil.
“There will be a large uniformed presence as well as plain clothes officers mingling with the crowd as well so they can keep a close eye on things and react quickly if something was to happen.
“The police will have lots of intelligence and will know who the protestors are likely to be and what vehicles they are looking for.
“They will have people watching the motorways to keep tabs on who is travelling and there will be public order officers tucked out the way on standby just in case there is a large-scale containment required.
“But there will mostly be large numbers of community cops and of course spotters – like you get at football matches – who know the ring leaders.
They reckon media-hungry activists keen for attention know all eyes will be on the Ayrshire town for the big event.
The source added: “Over the years protest groups have changed their tactics.
“Before it was more about bringing disruption to a city centre by sitting at major junctions, blocking undergrounds or airports but now they seem to be focused on getting media attention.
“So if you have got a worldwide event like the Euros, Wimbledon or The Open that is going to be seen as an opportunity because within a few minutes of a disruption it will be all over the news.”
This would be the third consecutive year that The Open would be targeted by Just Stop Oil.
Last year, PGA Tour winner Billy Horshel was forced to intervene to prevent a group of activists from ruining proceedings further after they threw a smoke flare and orange power paint on the 17th green at Royal Liverpool.
Horschel helped stop the chaos before leading one of the protesters to the on-running security.
At that event, R&A CEO Martin Slumbers revealed a prior attempt at hitting the tournament had been squashed a year before.
Referring to the 2022 Open, which took place at St Andrews, he said:
“There was direct intelligence last year, and most people in this room don’t know that The Open was targeted last year.
“We have significant security procedures in place. We work clearly with the law enforcement agencies, and we’ll wait and see what happens.
“We have advised the players please don’t get involved and I stand by that.
“Beyond that I think security matters I need to keep confidential.”
Other high-profile events targeted by the band of eco-fanatics include last year’s Wimbledon and World Snooker Championship and the Ashes Test at Lords in 2023.
And the UCI World Cycling Championships last year was brought to a complete standstill as protesters glued themselves to the tarmac along the 271 km route.
Police Scotland have teamed up with the R&A and South Ayrshire Council chiefs for the beefed up security measures, which they’re calling Project Servator.
The initiative calls on cops, security and locals to be extra vigilant during the event and report anything suspicious.
Project Servator was previously utilised during the COP26 conference in Glasgow.
Johnnie Cole-Hamilton, executive director – championships at the R&A, added: “We want everyone to leave Royal Troon having enjoyed a memorable experience of attending The 152nd Open and so we are working closely with the police and our security advisors to stage a safe and secure Championship.
“We encourage all fans to be familiar with the aims of Project Servator and play a role in ensuring that the possibility of criminal activity is reduced by reporting any suspicious or unusual behaviour happening in and around the venue.”
There have been a string of high profile protests at sporting events in recent years.
A Just Stop Oil member ran from the crowd at the 2023 World Snooker Championship, leapt onto the table and threw orange powder paint all over the surface.
That same year, the same group caused disruption at Wimbledon on four different occasions throwing confetti and jigsaw pieces on the court – in the latter incident, play was halted for more than an hour.
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The group has also targeted football matches in the past with pitch invaders handcuffing themselves to goalposts at games between Everton-Newcastle and Arsenal-Liverpool in 2021.
Crowds at PGA Golf, cricket, the British Grand Prix and Rugby Union have also witnessed demonstrations in the past.
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