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FAA bans drones in parts of NJ as sightings continue
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has temporarily prohibited drones in parts of New Jersey, but why if officials say there is no threat? Here's what you need to know.
PHILADELPHIA - After a large number of mysterious drones have been reported flying over New Jersey and across the eastern U.S., sparking concern, on Wednesday the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) temporarily banned drone flights in 22 areas of New Jersey where critical infrastructure is located.
Those areas include the cities of Camden, Burlington, Gloucester City, Winslow Township, Evesham, Westampton, Hamilton, and Hancock's Bridge in Lower Alloways Township in Salem County.
FAA officials said the flight restrictions were requested by federal security agencies.
The ban is in effect from December 18 at 4:30 p.m. EST until January 17, 2025 at 4:30 p.m. EST.
According to the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness (NJOHSP), "the FAA often imposes temporary flight restrictions to ensure the safety and security of sensitive areas, regardless of immediate threats."
"Airspace restrictions can also apply to all drones to prevent interference with ongoing investigations and ensure airspace safety," the NJOHSP says on its website.
Drones in New Jersey
Many witnesses have reported seeing drones statewide since mid-November, including near the Picatinny Arsenal, a military research and manufacturing facility, and over President-elect Donald Trump’s golf course in Bedminster.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has said that drone-detection equipment supplied by the federal government has yielded little new information. He declined to describe the equipment except to say it was powerful and could even disable the drones, though he said that’s not legal on U.S. soil.
Murphy urged Congress to give states more authority to deal with the drones.
Meanwhile, federal and local authorities are warning against pointing lasers at suspected drones, because aircraft pilots are being hit in the eyes more often. Authorities also said they are concerned people might fire weapons at manned aircraft that they have mistaken for drones.
Do drones pose a threat?
FBI warns New Jersey residents not to shoot down drones or point lasers at aircraft
The FBI field office in Newark urged New Jersey residents this week not to shoot down drones or point lasers at manned aircraft.
On Wednesday, the FBI field office in Newark urged New Jersey residents this week not to shoot down drones or point lasers at manned aircraft, taking to social media to warn against the dangerous — and possibly deadly — activity, which comes amid an uptick in reported drone sightings along the U.S. East Coast.
White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said Monday that the federal government has yet to identify any public safety or national security risks.
"There are more than 1 million drones that are lawfully registered with the Federal Aviation Administration here in the United States," Kirby said. "And there are thousands of commercial, hobbyist and law enforcement drones that are lawfully in the sky on any given day. That is the ecosystem that we are dealing with."
The federal government has deployed personnel and advanced technology to investigate the reports in New Jersey and other states, and is evaluating each tip reported by citizens, he said.
About 100 of the more than 5,000 drone sightings reported to the FBI in recent weeks were deemed credible enough to warrant more investigation, according to a joint statement by the Department of Homeland Security, FBI, Federal Aviation Administration and Department of Defense.
What to do if you see a drone?
As questions persist regarding NJ drone activity, fire departments receive briefings on possible responses
Fire departments across New Jersey received a new intelligence bulletin with recommendations on how to respond to downed drones, while questions about why there have been so many sightings mount.
Shooting down a drone in New Jersey is illegal and violates federal law. If you shoot down a drone, you could face up to a $250,000 fine and up to 20 years imprisonment.
Anyone who observes suspicious activity should immediately report it to local law enforcement or NJOHSP’s Counter-Threat Watch Unit at 866-4-SAFE-NJ (1-866-472-3365) or tips@njohsp.gov.
The New Jersey Division of Fire Safety released an intelligence bulletin to fire departments statewide with eight safety recommendations for encountering downed Unmanned Aerial Vehicles or UAV’s.
Among the recommendations, it tells fire service members to not approach downed or landed drones and to initially evacuate the area by 330 feet in all directions.
Officials urge action
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Trump on mysterious drone sightings in U.S.: 'Something strange is going on'
President-elect Donald Trump say Monday that he believes the U.S. government knows the origins of the mysterious drones spotted over New Jersey and other East Coast states over the past several weeks, adding "something strange is going on."
President-elect Donald Trump said "the government knows what is happening" when asked about the New Jersey drone mystery during a wide-ranging Monday morning news conference.
The Pentagon said that the aircraft are not U.S. military drones, and officials have rebuked claims that the drones spotted are a part of a nefarious plot by foreign agents.
"I can’t imagine it’s the enemy because if it was the enemy, they’d blast it out, even if they were late, they’d blast it," the president-elect said Monday.
U.S. Sen. Andy Kim, a New Jersey Democrat, said he has heard nothing to support the notion that the government is hiding anything. He said a lack of faith in institutions is playing a key part in the saga.
"Nothing that I’m seeing, nothing that I’ve engaged in gives me any impression of that nature. But like, I get it, some people won’t believe me, right? Because that’s the level of distrust that we face," Kim said Monday.
Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut last week called for the drones to be "shot down."
A Senate bill that would expand federal agencies' authorities to track and disable drones has been pending since last year. It also includes a pilot program that would allow state and local law enforcement agencies to monitor and disable drones, under supervision by federal authorities. A similar bill in the House was introduced in June.
What does this eman for NJ drone businesses?
Flying drones is a huge part of Jon Moraglia’s life and business, hence its name The Drone Life.
"A lot of the projects that I do are kind of around construction, commercial installations, or just commercial properties, taking pictures of properties for sale," said Moraglia the owner of The Drone Life.
The majority of those assignments are in New Jersey.
"I did look at the list of restricted areas and right now I don’t have any projects ongoing in those places, but I’ve flown many projects in all of the places that were listed previously," said Moraglia.
Luckily for Moraglia, his assignment Thursday was in a portion of Salem County that’s not restricted.
The FAA says pilots who violate TFR’s can face sanctions ranging from warnings or fines to certificate suspensions or revocations.
"Banning it like that is kind of punishing people like myself who are just recreational or commercial hobbyists. I feel like we are not really the ones causing this issue," said Moraglia.
Moraglia says TFR’s are common, and that whenever there is an Eagles or Phillies game there is one, but he’s never seen one like this.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.