The large mysterious drones reported flying over New Jersey, New York and other Northeast states in recent weeks now have all eyes to the sky in Massachusetts, where drone sightings are being reported, according to reports from police and residents.
“(The Massachusetts State Police) is working together with local and federal partners, and they’re prepared to support federal authorities with jurisdiction over airspace,” Gov. Maura Healey said on social media Saturday afternoon.
“Drone operators should adhere to all applicable laws, regulations, and appropriate operating procedures, ensuring the safe and responsible use of drones,” the governor added.
A Weston resident, who reported spotting roughly five drones flying overhead to local police Friday night, shared the “surreal” experience with the Herald on Saturday morning.
Around 8 p.m. Friday, the resident said she had been cooking dinner for her family, while her husband had taken their dog outside and texted her to come outside.
“My immediate thought was ‘We’ve got drones,’” the resident told the Herald. “When I came out he was filming probably five of them, and it was freezing cold, we just stood there in awe.”
The couple has followed the news of the drones, and she has texted her cousin who lives in the Cherry Hill area of New Jersey about any new developments in the saga.
“It was a little strange that I had been focused on her area and then all of a sudden they’re here,” the resident said.
Harwich Police Chief Kevin M. Considine alerted his town Friday night that a resident called his department Thursday night to “report unknown drone activity over her residence.” He added that one of his officers spotted a sighting earlier that evening.
“The resident reported going outside around 9 p.m., where she observed about 10-15 drones,” Considine wrote in a release Friday night. “The resident could not hear the drones but stated they were very bright, and she observed these for over an hour.
“That same night, around 6 p.m., an off-duty Harwich officer also noticed similar drone activity near the public safety complex on Sisson Road,” he added.
Considine said the Harwich PD relayed the information to the Boston FBI and Massachusetts State Police. “These drones are similar to ones reported over the last couple of weeks over New Jersey, New York and most recently over Connecticut,” he wrote.
Massachusetts State Police confirmed that the drone reports are accurate.
This all comes as New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has asked the Biden administration to put more resources into an investigation of the mysterious drone sightings in his state and elsewhere.
Murphy, a Democrat, made the request in a letter Thursday, noting that state and local law enforcement remain “hamstrung” by existing laws and policies in their efforts to successfully counteract any nefarious activity of unmanned aircraft.
A New Jersey state lawmaker briefed Wednesday by the Department of Homeland Security reported that the drones appear to avoid detection by traditional methods such as helicopter and radio.
In a post on the social media platform X, Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia described the drones as up to 6 feet in diameter and sometimes traveling with their lights switched off. The devices do not appear to be being flown by hobbyists, she wrote.
MartyA45_ /TMX via AP, File
FILE – In this image taken from video provided by MartyA45_, several drones appear to be flying over Randolph, N.J., on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024. (MartyA45_ /TMX via AP, File)
The Weston resident told the Herald that the drones she saw Friday night are the “same size,” roughly that of a car, as the ones seen in New Jersey, New York and other states with “good captures.” She added that they have red and blue lights along with fixed wings.
“My concern is that we are vulnerable right now, our country is vulnerable,” the resident said. “There are all sorts of different things flying in the sky. None of it seems to make sense.”
Dozens of mysterious nighttime flights started last month and have raised growing concern among residents and officials.
Part of the worry stems from the flying objects initially being spotted near the Picatinny Arsenal, a U.S. military research and manufacturing facility; and over President-elect Donald Trump’s golf course in Bedminster, N.J.
Authorities say they do not know who is behind the drones.
The FBI, Homeland Security and state police are investigating the sightings. Authorities say they don’t know if it is one drone that has been spotted many times or if there are multiple aircraft being flown in a coordinated effort.
Online, speculation is widespread, with some expressing concerns that the drone or drones could be part of a nefarious plot by foreign agents. Officials stress that ongoing state and federal investigations have found no evidence to support those fears.
Drone sightings have now been reported in New York City, where a permit is required, and Mayor Eric Adams says the city is investigating and collaborating with both federal and New Jersey officials.
Brian Glenn/TMX via AP, File
FILE – This photo provided by Brian Glenn shows what appears to be multiple drones flying over Bernardsville, N.J., on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024 (Brian Glenn/TMX via AP, File)
The runways at Stewart International Airport – about 60 miles north of New York City — were shut down for about one hour Friday night because of drone activity in the airspace, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said.
“This has gone too far,” she said in a statement.
The governor called on Congress to pass legislation to strengthen the FAA’s oversight of drones and give more authority to state and local law enforcement agencies to investigate the activity.
“Extending these powers to New York State and our peers is essential,” she said. “Until those powers are granted to state and local officials, the Biden administration must step in by directing additional federal law enforcement to New York and the surrounding region to ensure the safety of our critical infrastructure and our people.”
The Associated Press and Herald reporter Chris Van Buskirk contributed to this report.
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