Multiple government agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense, released a joint statement Monday as recent surges in drone sightings across New Jersey and the rest of the Northeast captured the nation's attention.
"Having closely examined the technical data and tips from concerned citizens, we assess that the sightings to date include a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones, and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and stars mistakenly reported as drones," the statement said. "We have not identified anything anomalous and do not assess the activity to date to present a national security or public safety risk over the civilian airspace in New Jersey or other states in the Northeast."
While the announcement echoes previous comments from authorities that the "mystery drone" sightings are not a threat, the statement also acknowledged concerns among communities that information was delayed and often vague.
Federal organizations will continue to support state and local authorities with advanced detection technology, according to the statement. The agencies urged Congress to enact legislation to help expand counter Unmanned Aircraft System detection technology in the event future threats emerge.
Several elected officials across the Northeast have committed to supporting this type of legislation when session reconvenes.
U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D., N.J.), who is running for New Jersey governor next year, sent a letter last week to the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, and the FAA, asking for them to share more information about the drone sightings. Gottheimer said he's introducing legislation to expand access to drone-tracking technology for law enforcement.
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