New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy called for more federal resources on Thursday to investigate the recent flurry of “unmanned aircraft systems” (UAS) flying over “the most dangerous two miles in America.”
“The proliferation of this technology has introduced additional risks to public safety, privacy, and homeland security, while state and local law enforcement entities remain hamstrung by existing laws and policies to successfully counteract them, leaving action around UAS squarely on the shoulders of the federal government,” Murphy said.
The New Jersey State Police have been taking drone reports since November. Although both the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the FBI have been useful resources in the investigation, more resources are needed, he said.
“New Jersey residents deserve more concrete information about these UAS sightings and what is causing them,” Murphy said. “The continued reporting of UAS activity has raised more questions than answers and prompted an outcropping of conspiracy theories across social media and other platforms.”
“Our state is home to what homeland security experts have called ‘the most dangerous two miles in America,’” Murphy said. “With critical infrastructure, major thoroughfares, and sensitive chemical processing facilities, I worry about our vulnerability to terror attacks and our ability to defend against them.”
“The FBI, DHS and our federal partners, in close coordination with the New Jersey State Police, continue to deploy personnel and technology to investigate this situation and confirm whether the reported drone flights are actually drones or are instead manned aircraft or otherwise inaccurate sightings,” the departments said.
