The Morris County Board of County Commissioners has issued a formal appeal to the federal government, urging it to utilize “all federal resources at its disposal, including the military,” to put an end to the unauthorized flights of drones over Morris County and other parts of New Jersey.
“We believe this to be a matter of national security,” the commissioners stated. “As such, our federal government has a duty to the people of New Jersey and the rest of the nation to identify the source of this incursion, be completely transparent about what is happening, put an end to the drones that have so alarmed our communities and implement the appropriate safeguards to protect our airspace and our people, now and in the future.”
The county has reportedly committed significant resources to addressing the issue since the first sightings of the drones. “Morris County and our communities have deployed considerable resources daily since the first drones were spotted,” the statement read. Officials praised the efforts of local agencies and law enforcement, including the Prosecutor’s Office, the Sheriff’s Office, and the Department of Law & Public Safety, for their “round-the-clock efforts” to monitor the drones and respond to reports from residents and local authorities.
“Our county agencies have worked diligently with local police chiefs as well as the State Police, the New Jersey Department of Homeland Security & Preparedness and the FBI in the hopes of bringing calm to this situation and to find answers,” the commissioners added.
However, the commissioners stressed that only federal authorities possess the resources and authority to resolve the issue effectively. “It is amply clear, beyond the fact that FAA regulations prevent our law enforcement agencies from taking any defensive action regarding the errant drones, that only the federal government, with its enormous resources and pre-eminent technology, has the authority to clear our skies of this mounting threat to our public safety,” they stated.
The commissioners expressed frustration with federal inaction, asserting, “As elected officials, servicemen and women, you are failing to abide by the oath you took to protect us from enemies, foreign and domestic. It is your duty to rectify this situation.”
Concluding their appeal, the board demanded, “We need action now. Our residents deserve nothing less. America deserves nothing less.”
