Numerous mysterious drones have recently been reported hovering over the East Coast suburbs, prompting national concern over the past few months. With drone sightings originating from Morris County, New Jersey, many Jersey residents have voiced their concerns and frustrations with the ongoing controversy. Under mounting pressure, the Federal Aviation Administration temporarily banned drone flights in 22 areas of New Jersey and 30 of New York (AP News). Further investigations by the FBI and Homeland Security proved useless, with officials confirming that the drones posed no threat to public safety. Despite an official statement by the FBI, Jersey residents continue to express their complaints, demanding stricter enforcement of uncrewed aircraft.
Residents have been reporting drone sightings since mid-November of last year. Drones have even been spotted near Picatinny Arsenal, a military research facility. Little to no information is known about these drones. This has made residents speculate: Where are these drones coming from? New Jersey’s Governor Phil Murphy has been given new drone detection equipment, which is said to be very powerful and could even stop the drones from functioning. However, that is illegal on US soil, so there hasn’t been much new information found (WHYY PBS).
Drones have even caused York’s Stewart International Airport to stop taking off because they were too close to the airport. A similar situation happened at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, but the takeoff was stopped for four hours.
President Donald Trump has not held back on voicing his opinions of the New Jersey drones. He shared his belief that the government must know more than the government is telling us. He suggests that civilians should attempt to shoot drones down. However, that is against the law and could have unwanted consequences (CNN).
Despite all the policies and complaints, all sides of the controversy come down to one question. Who’s operating these drones? In the online world, speculations have run wild with many thinking that the drones are part of some espionage ploy conducted by a foreign country, while others claim that the drones are a secretive government project. Nevertheless, with military officials denying all accusations of drone operations and no concrete evidence pointing at any particular perpetrator, the mystery remains unsolved. As drones continue to distress the residents of New Jersey, the lack of any details and updates only fuels more conspiracy theories online. With no clear answers from the government, the public is left to question who is behind the drones.
