BOSTON (AP) 鈥� After weeks of fear and bewilderment about the over parts of New York and , elected officials are urging action to identify and stop the mysterious flights.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of us who are pretty frustrated right now,鈥� Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said on 鈥淔ox News Sunday.鈥�
鈥�'We don鈥檛 know鈥� is not a good enough answer,鈥� he said.
National security officials have said the drones don鈥檛 appear to be a sign of foreign interference or a public safety threat. But because they can鈥檛 say with certainty who is responsible for the sudden swarms of drones over parts of New Jersey, New York and other eastern parts of the U.S. 鈥� or how they can be stopped 鈥� leaders of both political parties are demanding better technology and powers to deal with the drones.
Sen. Chuck Schumer called Sunday for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to deploy better drone-tracking technology to identify the drones and their operators.
鈥淣ew Yorkers have tremendous questions about it,鈥� Schumer, the Senate majority leader, told reporters about the drone sightings. 鈥淲e are going to get the answers for them.鈥�
The federal government did little to answer those questions in its own media briefings Sunday morning. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no question that people are seeing drones,鈥� U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told ABC鈥檚 George Stephanopoulos. 鈥淏ut I want to assure the American public that we are on it. We are working in close coordination with state and local authorities.鈥�
Some of the drones reported above parts of New York and New Jersey have turned out to be 鈥渕anned aircraft that are commonly mistaken for drones,鈥� Mayorkas said. 鈥淲e know of no foreign involvement with respect to the sightings in the Northeast. And we are vigilant in investigating this matter.鈥�
Last year, federal aviation rules began requiring certain drones to broadcast their remote identification, including the location of their operators. It鈥檚 not clear whether that information has been used to determine who is behind the drones plaguing locations over New York and New Jersey. Mayorkas鈥� office didn鈥檛 respond to questions about whether they鈥檝e been able to identify drones using this capability.
Schumer wants the federal government to use a recently declassified radio wave technology in New York and New Jersey. The radio wave detector can be attached to a drone or airplane and can determine whether another flying object is a bird or a drone, read its electronic registration, and follow it back to its landing place. Schumer said state and local authorities do not have the authority to track drones.
On Sunday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said federal officials were sending a drone detection system to the state.
鈥淭his system will support state and federal law enforcement in their investigations,鈥� Hochul said in a statement. The governor did not immediately provide additional details, including where the system will be deployed.
Dozens of mysterious nighttime flights started last month over parts of New Jersey, raising concerns among residents and officials. Part of the worry stems from the flying objects near the Picatinny Arsenal, a U.S. military research and manufacturing facility, and over President-elect Donald Trump鈥檚 golf course in Bedminster. Drones are legal in New Jersey for recreational and commercial use, but they are subject to local and Federal Aviation Administration regulations and flight restrictions. Operators must be FAA certified.
Drones are now being reported all along the northern East Coast, with suspicious sightings in sa国际传媒icut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Virginia, according to news reports.
Some U.S. political leaders, including Trump, have called for much stronger action against the drones, including shooting them down.
Certain agencies within the Department of Homeland Security have the power to 鈥渋ncapacitate鈥� drones, Mayorkas said Sunday. 鈥淏ut we need those authorities expanded,鈥� he said.
A bill before the U.S. Senate would enhance some federal agencies鈥� authority and give new abilities to local and state agencies to track drones. It would also start a pilot program allowing states and local authorities to disrupt, disable or seize a drone without prior consent of the operator.
鈥淲hat the drone issue points out are gaps in our agencies, gaps in our authorities between the Department of Homeland Security, local law enforcement, the Defense Department," Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., Trump鈥檚 pick to be his national security adviser, said on CBS鈥� 鈥淔ace the Nation鈥� on Sunday. "Americans are finding it hard to believe we can鈥檛 figure out where these are coming from.鈥欌��
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Collins reported from Hartford, sa国际传媒icut.
Bianca V谩zquez Toness And Dave Collins, The Associated Press
