Sen. Chuck Schumer wants expanded surveillance and drone detection systems for the tristate area after residents for weeks have been unnerved by the unmanned flying vehicles.
Schumer (D-N.Y.) said federal authorities should hand more power to state and local law enforcement to deal with the mystery drones.
“Locals should not have to shake an eight ball to get desperate answers on non-stop drone sightings when the feds can do more to help,” Schumer said Sunday.
Trisha Bushey via AP
This photo provided by Trisha Bushey shows the evening sky and points of light near in Lebanon Township, N.J., on Dec. 5. (Trisha Bushey via AP)
New Jersey residents have been bothered by drones since late November and numerous recent sightings have been reported in Queens, the Bronx and the Hudson Valley. On Friday night, runways at Stewart International Airport in Orange County were shut down for an hour due to drones.
The drones have sparked a handful of kooky theories — including one from a Republican New Jersey congressman that an “Iranian mothership” was behind them. The Pentagon scoffed at the conjecture.
Gov. Hochul said Sunday the federal government had approved a “state-of-the-art” drone detection system for New York. But that was only one system, a small step in the desired effort, according to Schumer’s office.
Schumer is focused on a company called Robin that makes advanced drone detection technology. Over the summer, the Netherlands purchased 51 Robin drone radar systems and sent them to Ukraine. Schumer thinks they could be useful outside of war zones as well.
“I want [Robin] deployed across New York and New Jersey and the metro area widely to help give us concrete answers on what is going on and from where,” Schumer said Sunday. “The [briefings] I have had tell me there is no evidence that this is a government or foreign activity and so we have to answer the logical question of ‘Who?’”
AP
In this image taken from video, what appears to be a drone is seen above treetops in Flanders, N.J., Dec. 3, 2024. (@xGabbyNu/TMX via AP)
Federal authorities have downplayed the threat of the drones. The FBI and Department of Homeland Security said Thursday there is no evidence of the drones flying in restricted airspace. In fact, according to the feds, many of the reported “drone” sightings were actually “manned aircraft, operating lawfully.”
Republican lawmakers and leaders have urged the federal government to take more decisive action by simply shooting the drones down. It is illegal for private citizens to shoot down drones so the military would have to handle any such action.
“Can this really be happening without our government’s knowledge,” President-elect Donald Trump wrote Friday on social media. “I don’t think so! Let the public know, and now. Otherwise, shoot them down!!!”
It is illegal to fly drones in New York City without a permit, leading New York leaders to call for help from the feds.
“Our federal partners are deploying a state-of-the-art drone detection system to New York State,” Hochul said in a statement. “This system will support state and federal law enforcement in their investigations. We are grateful to the Biden Administration for their support, but ultimately we need further assistance from Congress.”
Hochul mentioned a bill that would allow state and local authorities to respond to drones without consulting the feds first. The bill has not yet hit the Senate floor.
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