State Sen. Rosemary Brown says the federal government's response to mysterious drones sighted over New Jersey and Pennsylvania has been “more than unsatisfactory and unsettling.”
Brown, who represents Monroe and parts of Lackawanna and Wayne counties, has proposed a resolution urging the federal government to give state governments the power to act and possibly disable the objects “when drones possibly threaten the safety and privacy of our communities.”
She also laid out her concerns in a letter to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
"Since mid-November, New Jersey has reported at least 3,000 unexplained drone sightings. These drones have flown over military bases, private residences, and some have been described as the size of a car," Brown wrote.
"My senatorial district in Pennsylvania shares a border with New Jersey, and sightings of drones are now being reported within our state."
Brown, in her letter to FAA administrator Michael Whitaker, also addressed a 2023 incident in which a Chinese spy balloon floated over American territory for days before U.S. officials shot it down.
"It is time to allow state governments to respond swiftly and decisively in these instances," Brown wrote.
What are Pennsylvania's leaders saying? Not much.
“We’re in touch with our local and federal partners, and we will continue to monitor the situation,” a spokesperson from the Pennsylvania State Police wrote in an email Monday. “None of the sightings indicated any immediate threat to the public.”
Gov. Josh Shapiro’s office did not immediately respond to a request for information.
Area officials recommend calling FBI
Monroe County Emergency Management Director Maryellen Keegan said several reports have been called into the county’s 9-1-1 center.
She says they are recommending people to call the FBI tip line if they see drones, especially if they are in groups.
“Seeing one or two drones … it might be an airplane,” Keegan said. “But if there's clusters, we are encouraging folks to call the FBI tip line.”
FBI tips can be made to 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or online.
“There's a lot of reports online of people discharging or threatening to discharge weapons in that direction,” she added. “We would highly encourage folks not to discharge weapons in the air.”
In fact, doing that could land you in jail.
According to a post from the Wilkes-Barre Township Police Department, shooting down a drone is a violation of federal law under (18 U.S. Code § 32 - Destruction of aircraft) punishable by a fine and/or imprisonment of up to 20 years.
Like Keegan, Wilkes-Barre Township police also advise residents to contact the FBI about drone sightings.
National discussion
The drones, some reported to be as large as cars, also have been spotted in Ohio, Virginia, New York and Massachusetts, according to the Associated Press.
The federal Department of Homeland Security and FBI said in a joint statement they have no evidence that the sightings pose “a national security or public safety threat or have a foreign nexus.”
In a press conference on Monday President-elect Donald Trump alleged that the Biden administration knows more than what has been made public, according to the Associated Press.
“Our military knows and our president knows and for some reason they want to keep people in suspense,” Trump said, refusing to say whether he had been briefed on the sightings.