Dozens of drones spotted off New Jersey Shore

For the past month, dozens of drones have been spotted in New Jersey and officials are uncertain where they are coming from.

New Jersey drones

Federal investigators have received more than 3,000 reports of drone sightings causing an investigation into the unexplained objects hovering over New Jersey, a top FBI official said at a Congressional hearing Tuesday.

Concern about the mysterious drone sightings started in mid-November when local residents began to make posts on social media.

The issue has now gotten the attention of political figures. There is mounting frustration among Congress members and the main concern during the hearing was homeland security. Some of the drones have reportedly flown near military installations and bases.

Is there a threat?

Robert Wheeler, an FBI official in charge of investigating the matter, confirmed to the hearing that the agency still had no explanation for the sightings and had no clear answer if the state or country should be concerned.

It is not known whether a group or individual might be behind the drones, or whether any credible issue even exists. It’s also possible that a single drone has been reported more than once.

Sightings have been made in eight New Jersey counties. Mayors in 21 towns across the north and center of the state have written a joint letter to Murphy calling for statewide action.

On Wednesday, Dec. 11, the governor of New Jersey, Phil Murphy, held a briefing call with the US homeland security secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, as well as representatives in Congress and state police to discuss the drone reports. He emphasized there was “no known threat to the public at this time”.

Drones are legal in New Jersey for recreational and commercial use but are subject to local and Federal Aviation Administration regulations and flight restrictions. Operators must be FAA certified.

Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey said he was frustrated by the lack of transparency, saying it could help spread fear or misinformation.

“We should know what’s going on over our skies,” he said Thursday.