U.S. officials from New Jersey have reportedly begun to raise concerns about an increase in drones flying near sensitive areas and have requested further investigation into the incidents.
Congressman Josh Gottheimer announced new legislation on Tuesday meant to address the rising number of unidentified drones that have been reported in more than a dozen counties, according to ABC 7 New York.
The Congressman explained that three bills are being considered to help address these concerns, with the first bill providing additional funds to law enforcement for the tracking of these drones.
Gotthemier stated that the other bills under consideration would prohibit the use of any weapons attached to drones while also imposing jail sentences for anyone using a drone to interfere with airports, emergency services, law enforcement or military activity, per ABC 7.
This potential legislation comes following concerns presented by various authorities throughout the state, with a group of 21 mayors from New Jersey previously writing a letter to Gov. Phil Murphy requesting action on the matter.
This letter raises concerns about the drones due to their proximity to a military research facility and President-elect Donald Trump’s Bedminster golf course, with the mayors writing that an investigation must be conducted to “determine the origin, purpose and compliance with applicable regulations.”
“While the benefits of drone technology are widely recognized when used responsibly and transparently, the lack of information and clarity regarding these operations has caused fear and frustration among our constituents,” states the letter, according to ABC News.
“Despite inquiries made to relevant authorities, we have yet to receive satisfactory answers about the purpose, operators, or safety protocols governing these flights.”
Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) also discussed the drones during a Monday event with law enforcement in Long Beach Island to inform the public about the current state of affairs regarding the drones.
“I have been speaking with Ocean County Sheriff Mike Mastronardy, Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden, and national security officials located in the area to discuss the widespread reports of unidentified drone activity across my central New Jersey congressional district and across our state,” he said in a statement, per Fox News.
“Understandably, New Jersey residents are very alarmed at this significant and reoccurring phenomenon – and the tepid response from our state and federal agencies so far is totally unacceptable. As we saw with the Chinese spy balloon last year, our fiercest adversaries will stop at nothing to surveil our homeland and threaten our national security.”
While local law enforcement agencies have told residents that there is no reason for concern, the FBI stated that the frequency of these drone sightings has increased and requested help from the public in identifying incidents.
These drone sightings first began taking place in central New Jersey but have shifted into other parts of the state, with Murphy stating that there were 49 reports submitted on Sunday alone, according to Fox News.
Despite the claims made by law enforcement about the safety of residents, The Federal Aviation Administration has reportedly imposed flight restrictions while authorities investigate the claims, per ABC News.