WMBCTV: Drones - Calls for Federal Transparency

The fallout over drone sightings continues to boil over with questions that remain unanswered and officials are still working to get those answers as we approach week five since the first drone sighting. Meanwhile, local officials are proposing action steps as the federal government issues a warning. 

A warning came from the FAA, advising residents not to point laser beams at objects they feel are drones, as many of them may be manned aircraft whose pilots could be affected by the laser beams. This is all part of a response to reports of drone sightings that have sparked national conversation over what these flying objects could be. Local officials appear frustrated but that’s not stopping them from taking action steps.

Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill, serving New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District, has introduced a plan that calls on the federal government to deploy Reaper drones to track and locate these unmanned aircraft while also calling on Congress to convene a classified hearing with House and Senate committees. Congressman Josh Gottheimer, serving New Jersey’s 5th Congressional District, released a legislation known as the RADAR Act, which will expand federal grants for local law enforcement to make radar systems more accessible to state and local police. He voices his frustration.

“I believe the people I represent and, as I’ve been saying for some time now, the people in New Jersey and around the country deserve answers,” said Gottheimer. “They deserve transparency from their government.”

While state officials say they are still demanding more information, so are local officials. Fairfield Police Department Public Information Officer says information they receive is also scarce.

“It’s kind of like a waiting game, unfortunately. We don’t even have any information  and that’s what’s frustrating,” said Fairfield Public Information Officer Stacy Chiarolanza. “Whatever this is going on in the skies at night, so don’t even know what’s going on. So we’re just as in the dark as our residents are as everybody else in New Jersey is right now.”

Amid the calls for the federal government to be more transparent, the FBI says they have received more than 5,000 tips of drone sightings in the last four weeks and about 100 leads have been generated. For the time being, they say residents with any relevant information should call the FBI hotline at 1-800-call-FBI or submit tips online at tips.fbi.gov.