Federal government set to deploy drone detection system after slew of sightings in New York area
NEW YORK (WABC) -- 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.
New York is getting some federal help, but some say it's not enough.
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Sunday that the federal government is deploying a drone detection system to the state to aid in investigations into recent drone sightings.
"In response to my calls for additional resources, our federal partners are deploying a state-of-the-art drone detection system to New York State. This system will support state and federal law enforcement in their investigations," Hochul said.
The news comes as state and local officials in New York and New Jersey are demanding more action from the federal government in getting to the bottom of the drone sightings sparking alarm among residents.
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.
"I am going to help pass and pass legislation that will allow local and state police departments to help the feds to help fight these drones," said Sen. Charles Schumer, (D) New York. "If the tech exists for a drone to make it to the sky, there is definitely tech to determine what these are and what the heck is going on."
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."
The FBI official also discussed how investigators overlayed the locations of the reported drone sightings and found that "the density of reported sightings matches the approach pattern" of the New York area's busy airports, including Newark, Liberty, JFK, and LaGuardia.
But, an FAA official says that there have "without a doubt" been drones flying over New Jersey, pointing to the fact that nearly a million drones are registered in the U.S.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy is also weighing in on the matter, telling Eyewitness News on Saturday he is surprised that the federal government does not seem to know much about what is flying above his state.
Just the day before, officials said there were "multiple" instances of drones spotted entering the airspace at a Navy weapons station.
Murphy says he may travel to Washington D.C. this week to seek answers, including why legislation that gives more power to state and local officials to investigate the recent drone sightings hasn't been passed. Murphy also plans to call for more federal resources to address the ongoing sightings.
Some information from ABC News and the Associated Press.
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