Mystery drone sightings in New Jersey have residents demanding answers
A rash of mystery drone sightings across central New Jersey is worrying residents and prompting government officials to seek action.
State and local representatives say there have been dozens of reports of large drones speeding over residents’ homes, businesses and public areas, scaring the people in their communities. Federal investigators said they don’t have answers yet but added they don’t believe the drones pose a public threat.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) said Monday that the drones have been spotted near important areas, such as the Picatinny Arsenal, a military research and manufacturing facility, and over President-elect Donald Trump’s golf course in Bedminster.
“I’m hoping we’ll get answers sooner than later,” Murphy said. He has publicly stated there is no known threat from the drones.
The FBI’s Newark Field Office and the New Jersey State Police have been investigating the reports for about a month, and the Federal Aviation Administration has imposed drone flight restrictions near Bedminster and Picatinny while authorities investigate.
Drones are legal for recreational and commercial use, as long as operators follow local and FAA regulations and hold FAA certification. Many reports show the drones are larger than those generally used for recreation.
Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-New Jersey) said the drones pose a national threat and suggested they be shot down in a statement Wednesday.
“The time to act on this information is now before the threat escalates any further,” Van Drew said. “Whether this is a foreign adversary or even just a group of drone hobbyists, we cannot allow unidentified drones to operate freely in our airspace with no consequences.”
Twenty Morris County mayors penned a letter to Murphy demanding a full investigation into the drones “to determine the origin, purpose and compliance with applicable regulations.”
“Despite inquiries made to relevant authorities, we have yet to receive satisfactory answers about the purpose, operators, or safety protocols governing these flights,” the mayors wrote.
Sen. Cory Booker (D-New Jersey) wrote a letter to federal investigators asking the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI and the FAA to brief local government authorities about the current situation to give “New Jerseyans peace of mind about these activities.”
“The State of New Jersey should issue a limited state of emergency banning all drones until the public receives an explanation regarding these multiple sightings,” Republican state Sen. Jon Bramnick wrote in a statement Tuesday.
The House Homeland Security Committee discussed the flights at a joint hearing Tuesday, where Keith Jones, the deputy executive assistant of air and marine operations for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said federal investigators haven’t been able to identify the drones yet.