New Jersey drone mystery prompts senator to call for ban – NBC New York

A New Jersey state senator is calling for a limited state of emergency to ban all drone use until authorities can provide answers about the devices that have been seen in Garden State communities in recent weeks.

Sen. John Bramnick (R-21) said Tuesday that the ban should remain in place “until the public receives an explanation for these multiple observations.” Governor Phil Murphy said the drone sightings are being investigated.

So far, drones have been spotted flying overhead at night in eight New Jersey counties, a week before Thanksgiving.

last week, Murphy wrote about this in social networks he 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 reports of drone activity over parts of Northern and Central New Jersey.”

“We are actively monitoring the situation and working closely with our federal and law enforcement partners on this matter,” the second-term Democrat wrote, noting there was no threat to the public.

Sightings of drones buzzing over New Jersey communities have been reported for weeks, attracting the attention of not only local law enforcement but also the FBI. last week, Staten Island became a target for the eyes in the sky.

The governor of New Jersey is trying to get to the bottom of all these mysterious drone sightings. New York News 4’s Adam Harding reports.

New Jersey residents Phil Doyle and his wife, Maureen, were out in their backyard Tuesday night when they heard a loud buzzing noise from upstairs. Doyle said they saw dozens of flying objects, believed to be unmanned aerial vehicles, flying from the side of the Picatinny Arsenal and heading northwest.

“One passes, 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 estimated the dozens of drones flying over his Oak Ridge home were about the size of his dining room table.

“Why are they here all of a sudden? Why did these drones suddenly appear? They’ve been around for a while and now we’re getting all this activity, so who’s behind it?” he asks.

Drones were also spotted flying over bodies of water, train stations and container terminals — all in crowded airspace with three major commercial airports.

“Let’s say a drone loses control and climbs over 500 feet, it could be a mid-air disaster. It could have easily disabled the engine, it could have crashed into the cockpit,” said aviation expert J. P. Tristani

Tristani added: “It’s a danger, yes. Is it worth considering, yes. Are you waiting for a catastrophic event? You shouldn’t be doing this, it’s a matter of public safety and it needs to be stopped now.”