NEW WINDSOR, N.Y. — Drone activity forced runways at New York’s Stewart Airfield to shut down Friday night, according to Gov. Kathy Hochul.
“Last night, the runways at Stewart Airfield were shut down for approximately one hour due to drone activity in the airspace. This has gone too far,” Hochul said in a statement released Saturday morning.
Hochul’s statement echoes a growing frustration among Tri-State Area lawmakers demanding answers from the federal government about the drones’ origins amid numerous reports of them flying over New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
White House officials have deemed suspected threats from the drones to be “not credible” and said many sightings are likely just of planes.
Growing frustration with drones in New York
Local officials have expressed angst over the federal response, especially after drones were reported over New York City.
“The people of Staten Island deserve answers, and the people of this city and state and region deserve answers of what the heck is going on,” Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella said.
Hochul’s statement Saturday also called on federal lawmakers to pass a law strengthening the Federal Aviation Administration’s oversight of drones:
“In mid-November, I directed the New York State Intelligence Center to actively investigate drone sightings and coordinate with federal law enforcement to address this issue, and those efforts are ongoing. But in order to allow state law enforcement to work on this issue, I am now calling on Congress to pass the Counter-UAS Authority Security, Safety, and Reauthorization Act. This bill would reform legal authorities to counter-UAS and strengthen the FAA’s oversight of drones, and would extend counter-UAS activities to select state and local law enforcement agencies.”
“Extending these powers to New York State and our peers is essential. 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.”
New Jersey congressman wants to allow state police to track, take down flying objects
New Jersey Rep. Chris Smith is proposing legislation that empowers state police to take action as quickly as possible against the drones.
The Ocean County sheriff’s office said with its own tethered drone, which can travel about 40 mph, it was able to spot what it considers to be mysterious drones, which they say were traveling at about 60 mph.
“This is the wake-up call. We’ve got a month of non-action,” Smith said.
“For Washington to just shun off those type of issues and say it’s all planes, right, is not good enough,” Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden said.
“Tell us. Stop hiding everything,” Smith said.
Smith plans to introduce legislation that would authorize state police across the country to be trained in tracking and even taking down flying objects. For now, only federal agencies can.
“Probably a designated unit could be established … They’d learn exactly what to do … How do you bring one down and how do you do that safely,” Smith said.
For now, the Monmouth County sheriff’s office tells the public not to call 911 if they believe they spot drones.
Golden says they should, however, call the non-emergency line if they see “five or six, weaving in and out, at a low altitude.”
“That would be the time to notify us locally and at the county level so we can investigate a little bit further,” he continued.
Smith plans on introducing his bill as soon as possible, potentially as early as next week.
It comes after New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy sent a letter to President Biden, asking for the federal government’s help addressing the drones.
“While I am sincerely grateful for your administration’s leadership in addressing this concerning issue, it has become apparent that more resources are needed to fully understand what is behind this activity,” Murphy wrote.
Drone sightings have also been reported in Pennsylvania and other cities along the East Coast.
contributed to this report.
