RELEASE: Gottheimer Calls on FBI & DHS to Deploy Assets to Safely Take Down Drones That Shouldn’t Be in Our Skies

Above: Gottheimer addresses recent drone activity amid growing safety concerns of residents.

TEANECK, NJ — Today, December 13, 2024, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) announced that he is urging federal law enforcement agencies, led by the FBI and DHS, to allow state and local law enforcement to deploy assets that can safely take down drones that shouldn’t be in our skies. 

Picatinny Arsenal, the Army facility in Morris County, has had 11 confirmed sightings of unauthorized drones flying over in its airspace in recent weeks, according to military officials. Drones cannot be permitted to fly over military bases, reservoirs, airports, first responder locations, critical infrastructure, and other sensitive sites. 

Video of Gottheimer’s announcement can be found here.

“When you hear hundreds of reports of drones flying above us, or see activity yourself, and federal agencies responsible for controlling the air space don’t properly and quickly brief the public, then it leaves a large vacuum of information. That’s why I’ve written to the FBI, DHS, and FAA and asked them to immediately brief the public – not on a piece of paper, but in person,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). “They also need to work closely with state and local law enforcement to give them the equipment they need to monitor drone activity.”

Remarks as prepared for delivery can be found here:

Good morning, and I want to thank the Bergen County Jewish Action Committee for inviting me here today. It’s wonderful to be back in Teaneck with you all at the Ma’ayanot Yeshiva High School for Girls, an esteemed high school in our community, and it’s an honor to be with so many of our local leaders.

Before I begin, and since we are here to address the safety of our residents, I wanted to quickly discuss the latest developments on the unidentified drones in our area. Just before Thanksgiving, the state and FBI began receiving reports of unidentified drones across ten counties in New Jersey, including in my District. Reports of drone activity have only surged since then. Some reports have suggested that these drones are the size of small cars or planes. According to military officials, since November 13, Picatinny Arsenal, the Army facility in Morris County, has had eleven confirmed sightings of unauthorized drones flying over its airspace. Senator Andy Kim just reported that he saw several drones with his own eyes last night.

I understand why many in our state are concerned — when you hear hundreds of reports of drones flying above us, or see activity yourself, and federal agencies responsible for controlling the air space don’t properly and quickly brief the public, then it leaves a large vacuum of information. As a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, I have been in regular communication with our federal law enforcement officials, including the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security, and the FAA, and we expect an additional classified briefing early next week. 

I want to understand for certain where these drones are coming from, because right now they appear to be unauthorized. That said, based on the information I have, and the briefings I’ve received to date, I’m not concerned about any imminent threats to public safety regarding these drones. But, and I’ve made this clear to the FBI, Homeland Security, and the FAA, the agencies chiefly responsible for monitoring drone activity, they must disclose more information to the public. And they have to do so now. While some of the activity may indeed be manned aircraft, there has to be some explanation to the public for the increased activity. 

That’s why I’ve written to the FBI, DHS, and FAA and asked them to immediately brief the public — not on a piece of paper, but in person. They also need to work closely with state and local law enforcement to give them the equipment they need to monitor drone activity. There’s clearly too much of it here in Jersey and other parts of the country.

Today, I am also urging federal law enforcement agencies, led by the FBI and DHS, to allow state and local law enforcement to deploy assets that can safely take down drones that shouldn’t be in our skies. The technology exists and law enforcement, working with federal agency parents, need the tools to react and address any threats from unwelcome and unregistered drones. 

Together, with legislation like the RADAR Act that I have introduced to expand federal grants for our local law enforcement to make radar systems more available to state and local police, this will ensure that only the drones that should be in the air — are in the air.

I’m not talking about small recreational drones at the beach or taking pictures of a wedding. I’m talking about drones to fly over military bases, reservoirs, airports, first responder locations, critical infrastructure and other sensitive sites to perform reconnaissance. Drones that are unlicensed, unregistered, and unwelcome.

For instance, just a few weeks ago, drones prevented a medical helicopter from helping a car crash victim in Somerset County. 

New Jersey cannot become the wild west for drone activity — and Americans shouldn’t have to worry about what’s flying overhead, especially as technology like AI advances at an unprecedented clip. 

I assure you, I remain laser focused on making sure that random, unidentified drone activity isn’t something that our communities will have to deal with going forward. We must ensure federal, state, and local governments have the resources they need to detect and counter drone threats should they arise.

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