Drone activity in New York shut down runways at Stewart Airfield, governor says
New Windsor, NY Drone activity forced the runway at New York’s Stewart Airport to close Friday night, according to Gov. Kathy Hochul.
“Last night, the runway at Stewart Airport was closed for approximately an 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 growing frustration Tri-state area lawmakers demand answers from federal government on origins of drones Large number of reports Flying over New York, new jersey and Connecticut.
White House officials have deemed suspected threats from drones “not credible” and said many of the sightings could just be aircraft.
New York grows increasingly unhappy with drones
Local officials have expressed concerns about the federal government’s response, especially after reports of drones New York City.
“The people of Staten Island deserve answers, and the people of this city, state and region deserve answers to what exactly happened,” said Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella.
Hochul’s statement on Saturday also called on federal lawmakers to pass a law that would strengthen the Federal Aviation Administration’s oversight of drones:
“In mid-November, I directed the New York State Intelligence Center to aggressively investigate drone sightings and coordinate with federal law enforcement to address this issue, and these efforts are ongoing. But to enable state law enforcement to address this issue, I am now calling on Congress Passes the Counter-UAS Security and Reauthorization Act, which would reform counter-UAS legal authority, strengthen the FAA’s oversight of drones, and expand counter-UAS activities to elective designated state and local law enforcement agencies.”
“Extending these powers to New York State and our counterparts is critical. Before delegating these powers to state and local officials, the Biden Administration must step in and send more federal law enforcement to New York and surrounding areas to keep us safe .”Critical infrastructure and our people. “
New Jersey congressman wants to allow state police to track and shoot down flying objects
New Jersey Rep. Chris Smith is proposing legislation that would empower state police to take action against drones sooner.
The Ocean County Sheriff’s Office said it used its own tethered drone, which flies at about 40 mph, to spot the mysterious drones, which they said were flying at about 60 mph. .
“This is a wake-up call. We haven’t taken action in a month,” Smith said.
“It’s not enough for Washington to just avoid the issue and say it’s all the airplanes, right,” said Monmouth County Sheriff Sean Golden.
“Tell us. Stop hiding everything,” Smith said.
Smith plans to introduce legislation that would authorize state police across the country to receive training in tracking and even shooting down flying objects. Currently, only federal agencies can.
“Perhaps there could be a designated unit … who would know exactly what to do … how to take a person down and how to take a person down safely,” Smith said.
Currently, the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office is telling the public not to call 911 if they think they have spotted a drone.
However, if they see “five or six aircraft flying back and forth at low altitude,” they should call the non-emergency hotline, Gordon said.
“At that time we will be notified at the local and county levels so we can investigate further,” he continued.
Smith plans to introduce his bill as soon as possible, possibly as early as next week.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy issued a statement A letter to President Bidenasking the federal government for help solving the drone problem.
“While I sincerely appreciate your administration’s leadership in addressing this concerning issue, it is clear that additional resources are needed to fully understand the reasons behind this activity,” Murphy wrote.
Drone sightings have also been reported in Pennsylvania and other cities Along the East Coast.
contributed to this report.
