Governor Kathy Hochul confirmed reports Friday night when New York State’s Stewart International Airport experienced a strange drone activity near that forced an hour-long shutdown as local authorities managed to respond with measures regarding the blocking airspace.
Concerns over drone sightings have increased across New York and neighboring states. Similar incidents have recently occurred in New Jersey, scaring citizens and lawmakers.
The FBI has received over 3,000 tips from investigations mostly at night time.
Governor Hochul termed the repeated disruptions caused by drones as unacceptable, saying, “This has gone too far.”
The recent shutdown of Stewart Airfield near New Windsor, north of Manhattan, is one of several such incidents in the region. Within 24 hours of the airport’s closure, the New York State Police (NYSP) received numerous reports of drone activity. However, the NYSP clarified that the sightings did not pose an immediate threat to public safety.
Federal agencies, including the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security, said Thursday that, as of now, there is no evidence that the drone activity poses a national security threat. The two agencies are working together with local authorities to dig deeper into the matter.
In response to the incidents, Governor Hochul had earlier directed the NYS Intelligence Center to conduct a thorough investigation. She implored Congress to pass the Counter-UAS Authority Security, Safety, and Reauthorization Act Saturday. This bill would give state and local governments more power to control the use of drones and bolster efforts to combat Unmanned Aircraft Systems. Hochul emphasized the need for federal funding to protect critical infrastructure, calling on the Biden administration to provide more resources to New York and its neighboring states.
New Jersey has also experienced the rise of drone sightings. On Friday, Governor Phil Murphy wrote to President Joe Biden requesting further federal support to handle the issue. The New Jersey State Police have been probing reports of UAS activity since November 18. Despite assistance from DHS and FBI, Murphy wrote about the need for more resources in order to conduct a more comprehensive investigation.
Murphy also called for Congress to reauthorize federal counter-UAS authorities, warning that the lack of appropriate legislation would limit the ability of state and local law enforcement to respond to the threat. He also requested the state to provide better tools for detection and mitigation to local authorities so that response capabilities could improve.
To add to this discussion was former President Donald Trump weighing in on the drone sightings in his national address Friday night. In his posts on Truth Social, the former president bashed the Biden administration for holding back crucial facts in the probes. According to him, if it is a danger, shoot down these drones, and ensure enough information is disseminated concerning cases that have not yet been solved.
