NEW JERSEY (WABC) — New Jersey continues to step up its efforts to combat mysterious drone activity in the state.
Congressman Josh Gottheimer on Tuesday announced new legislation to address the recent disturbance in more than a dozen counties.
“We can never play it too safe when it comes to fighting to protect Jersey families, especially from new technology that have great potential but also can pose risks,” Gottheimer said. “That’s why I’m focused on making sure that random, unidentified drone activity isn’t something that our communities have to deal with going forward.”
One of the bills would increase funding for local law enforcement to obtain radar technology to track and monitor drones.
Gotthemier added he has composed two bills that would prohibit attaching a weapon to a drone and calls for a two-year prison sentence for anyone who uses a drone to interfere with airports, emergency services, law enforcement or military activity.
Gottheimer says he’s written a letter to the FBI, Department of Homeland Security and the FAA requesting a public briefing about the drones.
“Based on the info I have from the briefings not concerned about eminent threats,” he noted. “But I understand why people are concerned.”
The FBI and FAA last week asked the public to help in their search for where and who is behind the drone activity.
Gov. Phil Murphy said on Monday he continues to be in contact with government officials to get answers sooner than later.
Sen. Jon Bramnick also acknowledged the whole situation could have been handled differently, and called a partial “state of emergency.”
“We’ve done states of emergency when it’s about to snow,” Bramnick said. “Now they’ve got drone sightings and people don’t know and are not sure.”
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