Scores of uniformed NYPD cops were spotted outside of Madison Square Garden in Midtown Friday as streets were closed off in preparation for pop superstar Taylor Swift’s dream wedding.
Between 150 and 200 cops were seen lining up in rows just before 1 p.m., when the officers began closing off streets in preparation Swift’s marriage to Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce, where an estimated 1,000 special guests would watch them exchange their vows.
The NYPD would not immediately confirm how many cops had been assigned to Madison Square Garden for the private event — or whether the couple or the taxpayer would be paying for the large police deployment.
Law enforcement sources estimate that, including benefits, an average police officer costs the city roughly $800 a day. A deployment the size of the one outside Madison Square Garden on Friday could cost the city anywhere between $120,000 to $160,000.
Julian Roberts-Grmela / New York Daily News
Police mobilize outside Madison Square Garden on Friday afternoon in preparation for Taylor Swift’s wedding. (Julian Roberts-Grmela / New York Daily News)
City officials said that police are used to cover large-scale private, permitted events, but the permit usually indicates if the private event organizer is paying for the officers.
It was not immediately clear if the permit for Swift and Kelce’s wedding indicates who is footing the bill.
In addition to paying for the massive dream wedding, Swift and Kelce donated $26 million to several charities across the country, including several New York City-based organizations, including Answer the Call, which provides financial assistance to fallen city first responders.
With Julian Roberts-Grmela
