The FBI is investigating after New Jersey residents reported seeing unidentified and unmanned aircraft hovering in the skies.
People in the Garden State’s Morris and Somerset counties, where President-elect Donald Trump’s Bedminster golf course is located, have been notifying law enforcement since November about the mysterious flying objects, which are larger than typical hobbyist drones.
Roughly 40 miles west of New York City in Somerset County, Trump’s Bedminster private golf resort was one of his favored retreats from the White House during his first term in office. Now, residents in the area have reported repeated sightings of hundreds of aircraft resembling “small car-sized drones,” per multiple media reports.
Several law enforcement agencies responded to the sightings on Tuesday with a public statement saying there is “no known threat to public safety,” while acknowledging “the public’s concern.”
“County and local law enforcement agencies are aware of the recurring reports of drone activity around Morris and Somerset counties and acknowledge the public’s concern about these repeated sightings,” the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office said in a joint statement with the FBI-Newark, New Jersey State Police, and New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness.
“The subject County Prosecutor’s, Sheriff’s and Emergency Management Offices, our respective municipal police departments, working in close cooperation with the FBI-Newark, the New Jersey State Police, and The New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, seek to reassure the public that we will continue to monitor and investigate the drone activity, “ the statement continued.
One Morris County resident named Mike Walsh reported that he had seen hundreds of “drones” for over two weeks from his backyard, saying they were up for close to “four hours” at a time in comments to PIX11 News. Another resident said she had seen the objects nightly since Nov. 18.
The FBI and New Jersey State Police are seeking new public information as they investigate the terrestrial activity.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
On Tuesday, Washington Township Mayor Matt Murello, whose municipality lies in Morris County, said, “Law enforcement has been notified for the last week or so about people seeing drones mostly at night.”
“We’ve been getting complaints as well in this area. We do see recreational drones, sometimes flown, but these don’t appear to be that,” he added in comments to ABC News.