Infrared cams, drone detection technology deployed in NY, NJ after sightings, sources say

Updated 31 minutes ago
NEW YORK (WABC) -- The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security have deployed infrared cameras and drone detection technology to ensure the drones flying over the New Jersey and New York area aren't harmful, according to a law enforcement source.

The agencies are also looking at social media and other photos to determine what exactly is in the photos. Most of the photos and video depict manned aircraft, according to a law enforcement source.

There have also been no reports from pilots about seeing any drones in the sky, according to the source.

Another other issue federal authorities are dealing with: over-reporting of potentially seeing drones, according to the source. In the New York-New Jersey area, where they are being spotted, there are very few restrictions.

Matthew Murello, the mayor of Washington Township, New Jersey, told "Good Morning America" on Monday he believes "something's going on," expressing concern and frustration at the lack of answers from federal authorities.

"I'm not trying to stir anything up, but we all know -- if you just turn on the television -- that drones can be used in an aggressive fashion," Murello said. "They can carry payloads. They can be used for all kinds of really aggressive-type things."



Monday we're expected to hear from New Jersey officials who want more to be done about the drone sightings that have been reported across our area for weeks now.

At a news conference in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, on Saturday, Rep. Chris Smith, (R-N.J.) said he's working on legislation to give state and local authorities more power to track and potentially bring down aerial drones.

Smith said that New Jersey officials are demanding more action from federal partners, calling the drones a "very considerable danger."

In New York, officials at Stewart International Airport, located roughly 60 miles north of New York City, said they shut down their runways for an hour after the Federal Aviation Administration alerted them that a drone was spotted in the area.



Air traffic control recordings from the airport during that time include a pilot reporting drone sightings in the area.

The FAA said it "slowed traffic" at the airport because of the reported drone sightings near and over the airport. The agency added that no aircraft were impacted. The airport temporarily closed its runways, but no flight operations were impacted during the closure.

"This has gone too far," New York Governor Kathy Hochul said in a statement on Saturday.

While Hochul says she is grateful for the drone detection system, she called on the New York State Intelligence Center to probe the sighting incidents, while also calling on the federal government to do more.

Specifically, she called on Congress to pass the Counter-UAS Authority Security, Safety, and Reauthorization Act, which would strengthen the FAA's oversight of drones and give more authority to state and local law enforcement agencies to investigate the activity.



"Until those powers are granted to state and local officials, the Biden Administration must step in by directing additional federal law enforcement to New York and the surrounding region to ensure the safety of our critical infrastructure and our people," she said.

Federal officials have repeatedly stressed that there is no evidence any of the reported drones pose a national security or public safety threat or have any foreign connections.

In a call with reporters on Saturday, an FBI official said federal authorities are investigating the New Jersey sightings but that, out of nearly 5,000 tips the agency has received, fewer than 100 have generated credible leads for further investigation.

A Department of Homeland Security official said that they are "confident that many of the reported drone sightings are, in fact, manned aircraft being misidentified as drones."

Some information from ABC News and the Associated Press.



ALSO READ | Is it a drone or plane? How to spot the difference


Expert weighs in on the recent drone sightings around NY and NJ


----------
* Get Eyewitness News Delivered
* More New Jersey news
* Send us a news tip
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
* Follow us on YouTube

Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News

Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
Copyright © 2024 WABC-TV. All Rights Reserved.