SOMERSET COUNTY, NJ – Somerset and Morris county officials have issued a statement on the recent drone activity in the evenings over homes in the area.
Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll, Morris County Chief of Detectives Robert McNally, Somerset County Prosecutor John McDonald, Somerset County Chief of Detectives Francisco Roman, Morris County Sheriff James M. Gannon, Morris Plains Police Chief / Morris County Police Chiefs Association President Michael Koroski, Somerset County Chiefs of Police Association President/Hillsborough Township Police Chief Michael McMahon and the Morris and Somerset County Offices of Emergency Management issue the joint public statement.
In the statement, they noted that county and local law enforcement agencies are aware of the recurring reports of drone activity around Morris and Somerset counties, and acknowledge the public’s concern about these repeated sightings.
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Law enforcement officials are working in close cooperation with the FBI-Newark, New Jersey State Police and New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness partners, and said they will continue to monitor and investigate the drone activity.
As of now, there is no known threat to public safety.
The FBI – Newark and the NJ State Police are asking the public to report any information related to the recent sightings of drones. Anyone with relevant information is asked to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submit it online at tips.fbi.gov. Residents are also invited to upload videos through the latter website.
For more on drones, better known as Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), visit the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness website.
Residents in the Somerset County area have been posting photos and videos of drones cited over their homes over multiple nights.
Among recent reports was a Nov. 26 incident near Raritan Valley Community College in Branchburg, during which a medical helicopter was briefly diverted from an accident scene because to the presence of hovering drones, authorities reported.
The reports of the night-time drone clusters began in mid-November, centering on Morris and Somerset counties. The FBI said the flights were seen in the area of the Raritan River watershed.
Witnesses have spotted a cluster of what look to be drones and a possible fixed-wing aircraft, the FBI said in a news release, along with the New Jersey State Police and New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness.
The Federal Aviation Administration restricted drones from flying over the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, and Picatinny Arsenal, a 6.400-acre armament research facility and military base in Jefferson and Rockaway Township in Morris County following the sightings.
“We look into all reports of unauthorized drone operations and investigate when appropriate,” the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement Monday, noting drone operators who endanger aircraft or pedestrians could be fined up to $75,000 and lose their drone operators’ pilot certificates.
