Drones latest: New York and New Jersey airspaces restricted as officials demand Congress to pass legislation
The FAA has granted temporary flight restrictions over some of New York’s critical infrastructure sites, in a measure officials call ‘purely precautionary’
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Your support makes all the difference.New York and New Jersey airspace has been temporarily closed to drones, as authorities have worked to slow the number of sightings across the eastern US.
However, the measures were “purely precautionary,” New York Governor Kathy Hochul assured.
“I’ve spoken with Secretary Mayorkas multiple times and was just informed that he has coordinated with federal partners and the FAA plans to grant temporary flight restrictions over some of New York’s critical infrastructure sites — this action is purely precautionary; there [is] no threat to these sites,” she said.
Dozens of areas were affected by the restrictions imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Drones have also been spotted in Texas, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Massachusetts, California and Florida.
Lawmakers have taken to social media to voice their concerns about what they said was a lack of communication from the federal government.
House Speaker Mike Johnson suggested this week that the Biden administration had brushed off the public’s concerns.
“This is why we need Donald Trump back in the White House, to bring a steady hand to the wheel and a strong commander-in-chief,” he told Fox and Friends.
A bill that would allow law enforcement to track drones was blocked.
Flight restrictions go in place across New Jersey for ‘security’ reasons as drones continue to fill the sky
‘It’s all bullsh**’: Moderator of drone subreddit quits over deluge of conspiracy theories about New Jersey sightings
How to tell the difference between a drone, a plane and a UFO- Mapped: All the locations of mass drone sightings in the last week
Expert makes it clear: Flying a drone isn’t illegal
“There’s nothing illegal about flying a drone around,” John Michaud, the director of Husson University’s School of Legal Studies, told Maine’s WABI on Wednesday.
“The biggest thing that people have to understand is there is not right of privacy. You are not protected from having an airplane, a drone, or helicopter fly over your property,” he explained. “I think we need to have a better idea of if they are all drones, if they have done something that we can say, ‘No, this is wrong’, and I haven’t seen that yet.”
New Jersey state senator blasts federal response to drone situation
New Jersey state senator Doug Steinhardt said Wednesday that there is no clear leadership from federal agencies on drone sightings across the East Coast.
“And, that’s not trickling down to the state agencies, either,” he told Fox News’ Sandra Smith.
Rep. Abigail Spanberger on mysterious drone sightings: 'There’s much more that we could be doing'
Virginia Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger is among lawmakers calling for more action on drone sightings around the US.
“From a legislating standpoint, there’s much more we could be doing to set clear parameters of where drones can go,” she told WUSA.
“I think people should have an expectation that state and federal leadership are working with law enforcement entities at the state and federal level to understand certainly most recent of flurry of drone activity that we have seen,” Spanberger said.
See it: Even more possible drones fly over New Jersey
NJ fire departments receive new guidance on drone response
The New Jersey Division of Fire Safety released a bulletin to fire departments with new safety recommendations for encountering downed Unmanned Aerial Vehicles or UAV’s, according to FOX 29 Philadelphia.
The guidance instructs fire service members to not approach downed or landed drones and to initially evacuate the area by 330 feet in all directions.
Sen. Rand Paul blocks bill that would let authorities track drones
Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul blocked legislation Wednesday that would have expanded resources for state and local authorities to track drones over the Northeast.
Paul said the bill would give them unnecessary surveillance powers, according to The Hill.
Police, FBI investigate drones flying over a North Texas city
“We started responding to multiple reports of drones flying near city neighborhoods, federal and military properties on Tuesday, December 17, 2024 at 8:14 p.m,” White Settlement Police Chief Christopher Cook said in a post on social media.
Cook said police were working with the FBI and other agencies to investigate the aircraft.
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