Although social media has been inundated with videos and comments about unidentified drone sightings – some as large as small vehicles – especially in the Ocean County area, local police Downbeach communities have not received any reports of unidentified drones operating in the skies above Absecon Island.
“We have not received any calls about drone sightings in Ventnor,” Police Chief Joseph Fussner said Wednesday afternoon.
Ventnor is the only Downbeach community that has an ordinance requiring drone operators to obtain permission from the police chief before operating a drone or unmanned aircraft above public buildings and property, including municipal parks.
Drones or unmanned aircraft are prohibited from taking off, landing or flying in any airspace below 400 feet over any government or public buildings, property, or parks without prior written permission from the police chief for a special event or city-sponsored event.
Drones may also not operate above the beach between May 31 and Sept. 1.
The ordinance does not prohibit constitutional use of drones or unmanned aircraft by any official law enforcement agency or for use by emergency services organizations, the County of Atlantic, State of New Jersey or the United States of America.
Anyone who violates the provision is subject to a fine of $2,000 and up to 90 days of community service.
Longport Police Chief Frank Culmone said drones have not been reported in Longport at this time, but the lack of communication from government officials about the sightings is “troubling.”
“To date there has been no communication to local law enforcement regarding these drones, their origin or their purpose,” Culmone said. “We are hearing that these Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) pose no threat. I question how that is determined if it is not known where they originate and their purpose?”
Culmone said the free operation of the drones could be “another failure of the FAA in their ability to grant licenses and establish regulations that cannot be enforced, and the burden of answering for another agency's shortcomings falls upon local jurisdictions.”
Congressman Jeff Van Drew believes drones seen hovering over New Jersey at night could be part of a larger national security threat and has been conducting his own investigation, he said.
"What we have uncovered so far is deeply troubling," Van Drew said in a release. "There is circumstantial evidence that suggests these drones could be the work of foreign adversaries, specifically Iran. Right now, we know that there are drones flying in from the direction of the ocean. We also know there is an Iranian drone mothership that is missing from port in Iran, with a timeline matching the emergence of these drones.”
He said the time to act is now.
“These drones are intentionally flying in uncontrolled airspace, expertly navigating around areas with radar coverage,” he said, stating the U.S. government should not allow unidentified drones to operate freely without consequences.
He called for any potential threat from a foreign adversary or a group of drone hobbyists to be eliminated by shooting them down.
"We are currently falling behind our enemies in terms of drone technology, and because of it, our country is exposed. We need to catch up, and fast. South Jersey is home to the Federal Aviation Administration William J. Hughes Technical Center, which is uniquely equipped to address these challenges. As Vice Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and a member of the Aviation Subcommittee, I will be working to prioritize the development of a comprehensive national strategy to enhance our radar coverage along the East Coast and beyond, as well as the creation of a drone patrol network to monitor and defend our skies. Our enemies are not waiting for us to catch up–and neither should we,” he said.
Here's a letter he sent to President Joe Biden regarding the issue.
https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:US:ca59489b-503d-4f19-83ba-89312a593a47
NJ Senate Republicans also issued a statement today following a briefing that “provided no additional clarity,” about the purpose of the drones, noting the Biden administration’s “slow-rolled” response has “left residents to speculate the worst-case scenario as they await answers.”
“It is irresponsible for federal representatives to assert that there is no threat to public safety while simultaneously asserting they have no information about who is operating the drones, where they originate, or where they are going. This contradiction is eroding public trust and only deepens the sense of uncertainty that many of our constituents have expressed,” their statement noted.
They called on Gov. Phil Murphy to demand the full support of the federal government.
“He must insist that the Biden Administration immediately provide the tools and resources needed to safeguard our state—up to and including authorization to neutralize any drone that poses a threat to our residents. New Jerseyans deserve swift and effective action to ensure their safety and the security of our nation.”
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