*Editors note: This article was written before Trump released his statement on what the drones really are. See the end for updates.
If you live in New Jersey and follow the news to any extent, you probably have heard about the drones flying over our state since November. But what are these drones? When did this start? Is it over for good? Should we even be worried? Keep reading to dive into the answers to these questions!
Background + Timeline
In New Jersey and even parts of New York, there have been sightings of drones as big as cars since mid-November. This suspicious drone activity was acknowledged on November 19th by Morris County law enforcers, although they asserted that they posed “no known threat to public safety.” As the weeks passed, rumors of where the drones came from increased. For example, on December 10, the Pentagon had to debunk rumors that the drones were coming from an Iranian mothership.
Investigations continued throughout December on the real source of the drones; along the way, organizations such as the FBI, FAA, and the Department of Homeland Security were alerted that the drones were causing problems for East Coast citizens. According to a source interviewed by ABC News, “The Department of Homeland Security and the FBI [investigated] these sightings, and [worked] closely with state and local law enforcement to provide resources using numerous detection methods to understand their origin better.”
While the idea of a potential threat was taken seriously, especially as drones began to get in the way of other air traffic, a credible root of the problem could not be identified. A Homeland Security secretary stated that many sightings were genuinely drones, but others were different types of aircraft that were easy to mistake for drones.
Tensions grew when Trump claimed that the Biden administration knew more about the sightings than they were letting on, raising questions about what Trump planned to do if the problem was still prevalent during his presidency. As time continued, very few of the public’s tips to law enforcement were valid enough to look into. On December 18, a drone ban was enacted. From that date on, drone sightings decreased. NJ.com states that the decrease was enough for most New Jersey locations to lift the ban.
A recent spike in sightings has brought public worries back to the surface after being quiet. That said, the drone question remains unanswered, and people have gotten tired of not having an answer.
Suspect? Should we be worried?
According to polling, almost 20% of Americans believe the drones are for recreational use. Others think they may be government surveillance drones working to protect citizens. However, nearly half of the people polled believe that the drones belong to an ominous foreign power, especially since some have been seen lingering around military bases. The thing about all of this that has confused people is how, with the situation becoming as widely talked about as it has, a suspect has not been identified.
Should we be worried about not knowing who is controlling these drones? It seems like the answer is no. While some continue fighting for further investigation, the problem has generally faded from the news cycle as people have realized the issue has reached a standstill.
At the end of the day, with the drone sightings slowing down in recent weeks, it seems like the general claim many politicians have made is valid; they pose no immediate concern, and people should just go on with their lives.
Trump’s statement
At his recent inauguration, President Donald Trump firmly declared his commitment to uncovering what was truly happening behind the scenes with drone activity. He vowed to get to the bottom of the issue and identify the cause of the crisis that temporarily halted air traffic in areas like New Jersey.
Some feel reassured that the root cause may finally be exposed. Others are exasperated by the ongoing drone controversy, seeing it as a fading issue, while some remain skeptical that a legitimate explanation will ever be found. What do you think?
Breaking News!
After the writing of this article, Donald Trump announced that the Federal Aviation Administration controls the drones for research purposes and they pose no threat to public safety. Some people are confused on why they did not just admit to being involved in the first place if that really is all there is to it. Stay safe, and stay curious.
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