A state senator in New Jersey is calling for a limited state of emergency banning all drone usage until authorities can provide answers about the devices seen buzzing over Garden State communities in recent weeks.
Sen. Jon Bramnick (R-21) said Tuesday the ban should last "until the public receives an explanation regarding these multiple sightings.” Gov. Phil Murphy has said the drone sightings are under investigation.
Drones have been spotted flying overhead at night in eight New Jersey counties so far, dating back to the week before Thanksgiving.
Last week, Murphy posted on social media he had met with Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, members of the federal Department of Homeland Security, state police and members of the Garden State's congressional delegation to "discuss reported drone activity over parts of North and Central New Jersey."
"We are actively monitoring the situation and in close coordination with our federal and law enforcement partners on this matter," the second-term Democrat wrote, while noting there is no known threat to the public.
Sightings of the buzzing drones over New Jersey communities have been reported for weeks, prompting the attention of not only local law enforcement but also the FBI. Last week, Staten Island became a target of the eyes in the sky.
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New Jersey residents Phil Doyle and his wife Maureen went outside to their back patio on Tuesday night when they heard loud buzzing coming from overhead. Doyle said they saw dozens of flying objects, believed to be drones, coming from the direction of Picatinny Arsenal and heading northwest.
“One goes over and then another. It’s not two or three a night, it’s 30 or 50 a night. They have lights on them so you can see them,” he said.
Doyle estimates the dozens of drones flying over his home in Oak Ridge were about the size of his dining room table.
“Why are they suddenly here? What’s the basis for these drones suddenly appearing? They’ve been around for a while and now we are getting all this activity, so who’s behind it?” he asks.
Picatinny Arsenal officials say they've been looking into the reports.
“While the source and cause of these aircraft operating in our area remain unknown, we can confirm that they are not the result of any Picatinny Arsenal-related activities,” Lt. Col. Craig A. Bonham II, Picatinny Arsenal Garrison Commander said in a statement Tuesday.
Bonham said there were at least 11 confirmed reports of drone sightings and another six cases were police received a report but weren't able to confirm it. That covers the dates from Nov. 13 to Dec. 6, he said.
