Dec. 13 (UPI) — Local leaders in New Jersey on Friday pleaded with the federal government to release more information on their probe of dozens of unexplained drone sightings over the New York City metro area.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said he has demanded more information and resources from the federal government as his state deals with growing public concerns over continued sightings of unexplained flying objects in his state.
In a letter sent to President Joe Biden on Thursday and posted by Murphy on social media sites, the governor urged the president to have the various federal agencies looking into the sightings “work together” and stated it has “become apparent that more resources are needed to fully understand what is behind this activity.”
Information on the probe being shared with local leaders is lacking, Murphy said, “prompting an outcropping of conspiracy theories across social media and other platforms.”
Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., who is an announced candidate to succeed Murphy as New Jersey governor, similarly pleaded for more transparency from federal investigators and demanded that local law enforcement be given the authority to “safety take down” drones as new reports of sightings “come in by the scores every day.”
“NJ cannot be the Wild West for drone activity,” he said in an X post. “Our federal agencies must immediately brief the public and work closely with local authorities to monitor drone activity.”
During a Friday press conference, Gottheimer repeated his pleas for more information.
“It’s totally and completely unacceptable that you have all this drone activity going on that people are seeing with their own eyes.” he said. “The fact that the federal agencies responsible for briefing the public have not come forward in a clear way is unacceptable,”
Fears over the origins of the drones continued to mount Friday, even after the White House despite assurances there is no evidence to show they pose a national security or public safety risk.
They were first reported last month, with the majority of sightings in Hunterdon and Morris counties in the northern and central regions of the state.
The Department of Homeland Security and the FBI have been investigating the sightings and said in a joint statement issued Thursday there is nothing to suggest the sightings pose a national security or public safety threat.
They do not “have a foreign nexus,” the law enforcement agencies said. “Upon review of available imagery, it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft, operating lawfully. There are no reported or confirmed drone sightings in any restricted air space.”
National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby reiterated this stance, telling reporters on Thursday that as federal law enforcement officers who are assisting New Jersey officials in probing the reports “have uncovered no malicious activity or intent at this particular stage.”
However, officials at Naval Weapons Station Earle in Colts Neck, N.J., confirmed Friday there had been “multiple” instances of drones entering its airspace.
“While no direct threats to the installation have been identified, we can confirm multiple instances of unidentified drones entering the airspace above Naval Weapons Station Earle,” Bill Addison, public affairs officer for the naval station, told ABC News. “The base remains prepared to respond to any potential risks, leveraging robust security measures and advanced detection capabilities.”