Legislative District 11 Team calls for stronger state and federal collaboration to address public safety concerns surrounding the rise in drone sightings around New Jersey

Monmouth County, NJ — Senator Vin Gopal, Assemblywoman Margie Donlon, M.D., and Assemblywoman Luanne Peterpaul, Esq. (D-Monmouth), are taking decisive action in response to recent reports of drone sightings throughout Monmouth County. The team has plans to introduce legislation calling on the federal government to provide more resources and assistance to local law enforcement to assist with the prompt monitoring of drone related activity. They are also preparing a bill to appropriate funding for grants that would support state and local officials working in tandem to address challenges such as mass drone sightings.  

The team of Senator Gopal, Assemblywoman Donlon, and Assemblywoman Peterpaul issued the following statement, “On Wednesday morning, Assemblywomen Margie Donlon and Luanne Peterpaul attended a briefing with the New Jersey State Police and the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness on behalf of Legislative District 11 regarding the ongoing drone situation.”

“The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is leading the active investigation into the drone sightings and has cited no credible threat at this moment in time. We were informed that there will be a pilot program launching soon in Monmouth County to investigate the drones. 

We will continue to monitor the situation and stay in touch with the federal government to ensure necessary information is communicated to New Jersey and Monmouth County residents.”

“We are continuing to pressure and lobby our federal leaders to bring clarity on this situation to New Jersey residents as soon as possible. It is unacceptable that the federal government is not providing the clarity needed to calm NJ residents. State and local authorities do not have the legal ability to mitigate threatening drone activity at this time. Federal agencies and the U.S. military have the legal abilities and technical capabilities in this situation.”

“During this time, it is critical that there is coordination with the federal government to ensure the wellbeing and safety of New Jersey residents and maintain an accurate sharing of information. Today’s briefing highlighted real concerns with how we regulate and address changes in technology, and we are pursuing legislation to increase transparency, accountability, and resources for state-level action and investigation.”

“We would also like to thank the NJ State Police, the NJ Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, and local law enforcement for utilizing all their resources to address this issue.”

Anyone who observes suspicious activity is asked to immediately report it to local law enforcement or NJOHSP’s Counter-Threat Watch Unit at 866-4-SAFE-NJ (1-866-472-3365) or [email protected]. The Legislative District 11 team remains committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of Monmouth County residents while advocating for increased transparency, coordination, and accountability in addressing drone-related issues.