Drones banned in New York over “critical infrastructure sites”

What’s New

New York has temporarily banned the flying of drones over some of the state’s “critical infrastructure sites” after multiple mystery drone sightings across the country.

No public safety or national security threats have been detected and the action is “purely precautionary,” Governor Kathy Hochul stressed in a statement issued on Thursday.

Newsweek has contacted the governor’s office, via email outside of working hours, for comment.

Why It Matters

Multiple drone sightings have been spotted in northeastern states including New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Connecticut, raising concerns about security threats and speculation of foreign involvement.

The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered a temporary ban on drones in areas of New Jersey for “special security reasons” this week.

The reports began roughly a month ago, and a recent statement from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security said there have been over 5,000 sightings of drones across states on the East Coast in recent weeks.

What To Know

The new drone restrictions, which are in place until January 18, come along with a “state-of-the-art drone detection system delivered to (New York) by the Biden-Harris Administration earlier this week.”

No-fly zones include Far Rockaway in Queens, Brooklyn and two communities on Long Island, Ridge and Garden City, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

What People Are Saying

Governor Kathy Hochul said: “Since mid-November, New York has been carefully monitoring reports of drone activity and we have been communicating closely with our federal partners. I’ve spoken with Secretary Mayorkas multiple times and was just informed that he has coordinated with federal partners and the FAA plans to grant temporary flight restrictions over some of New York’s critical infrastructure sites—this action is purely precautionary; there is no threat to these sites.

“This is in addition to the state-of-the-art drone detection system delivered to us by the Biden-Harris Administration earlier this week. While we have not detected any public safety or national security threats, we will continue aggressively monitoring the situation as we call on Congress to pass legislation to give states and local law enforcement the authority and resources they need to manage this evolving technology. Public safety is my top priority and I will stop at nothing to keep my constituents safe.”

What Happens Next

The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security are currently investigating drone sightings all over the country.

Some American officials have even called for a state of emergency to be declared, with President-elect Donald Trump and other Republican lawmakers calling for the unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to be shot down.

Federal agencies will continue to investigate the sightings. Newsweek has broken down why it is difficult to deal with these incidents here.