Press Release from Mayor Chris Carey
To the Residents of Randolph Township,
On Wednesday, December 11th, I attended a briefing regarding the recent reports of drones flying over Morris County and other areas of New Jersey. The briefing, held in Ewing and led by Colonel Patrick Callahan of the New Jersey State Police, was attended by more than 200 New Jersey Mayors. While I appreciated the opportunity to hear directly from Colonel Callahan, I was disappointed that no new information was shared beyond what is already publicly available.
Here are the key points discussed during the briefing:
- Drones have been reported flying over New Jersey every night since November 18th, except for Thanksgiving Day.
- These drones operate in formation with highly coordinated movements.
- State authorities do not know where the drones are coming from, where they are landing, or their purpose.
- The drones are not believed to be flown by hobbyists. They appear to have advanced technology and are more sophisticated than commercially available drones.
- The Department of Defense and other U.S. agencies have confirmed that the drones are not part of any government programs.
- No businesses or private entities have claimed responsibility for the drones.
- The federal government has stated that there is no imminent or credible threat at this time.
It was also emphasized that only the federal government has jurisdiction over airspace, and the FBI is leading the investigation into these drone sightings. State officials have assured us they are being fully transparent and sharing all the information they have.
In the last week, I have been in communication with Governor Murphy’s office, Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill’s office, Senator Bucco, Assemblywoman Dunn, and Sheriff Gannon to express my concerns about the drones reported by Randolph residents. I have urged these leaders to adopt a more aggressive and proactive approach to address this issue. Like many other Mayors who attended the briefing, I am frustrated by the lack of information from federal authorities and join my fellow Mayors in calling on Governor Murphy to take stronger executive action.
I want to assure our residents that I will continue to advocate for more transparency and action from state and federal officials to address this ongoing situation. Randolph will remain vigilant and keep the community informed as more information push our state and federal officials for more information and action.
Sincerely,
Mayor Christine Carey
Randolph Township
View the entire statement from the Department of Homeland Security here: www.rebrand.ly/Randolph-Homeland-Security-PDF
Learn about federal, state, and local efforts to address drone activity here: https://www.randolphnj.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=218