By Rithika Panchumarthy
(Associated Press).
Anyone living in New Jersey has seen the drones that have taken to the skies starting November 18th, according to the FAA. The first sighting was in Morris County, NJ. These drones are reportedly unauthorized, but there is no sign of any of them being a threat to public security according to a joint statement released by the FBI and DHS. They assure that most of the supposed sightings are regular registered airplanes or drones manned by registered civilians.
Pentagon spokesman, Major General Pat Ryder, told CNN, “There are thousands of drones flown around the US on a daily basis… So as a result, it’s not that unusual to see drones in the sky, nor is it an indication of malicious activity or any public safety threat. And so the same applies to drones flown near US military installations” (CNN).
Tuesday, December 17th, the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee received a classified briefing, the contents of which will be released to the public shortly. As of now, the FBI and local law enforcement professionals urge civilians not to shoot at the mystery drones for their own safety.
Currently, Senate Majority Leader, Republican Chuck Schumer is working with the DHS to try to use a 360 degree surveillance system, but so far other techniques have not been successful. Connecticut state police deployed a drone detection system that is aiding law enforcement in identifying the drones, but nothing about the findings have been released to the public.
FBI officials do all concur that there is a “slight overreaction” (CNN) in the media and that they are not very concerned, but the Department of Defense is more skeptical. An official said they are unsure of the criminal nature of the drones, but whoever is manning them is extremely irresponsible and will be detained upon their uncovering.
For the time being, if one does see an exemplary drone sighting or have any information, call the FBI Drone Tip Line at: 1-800-225-5324.
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