Mysterious Drones Swarm New Jersey Skies

[Perfect Jammer]

Large, mysterious drones reported in recent weeks flying over parts of New Jersey appear to evade detection by traditional methods such as helicopters and radios, according to a Department of Homeland Security briefing to state lawmakers on Wednesday.

In a post on the social media platform X, Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia described the drones as up to 6 feet in diameter and sometimes flying with their lights off. The Republican congresswoman from Morris County is one of several state and local lawmakers who have met with state police and Department of Homeland Security officials to discuss a series of sightings from the New York City area to New Jersey and west to parts of Pennsylvania, including Philadelphia.

The devices do not appear to be flown by amateurs, Fantasia wrote.

Many residents in the tri-state area may be wondering what remedies they can take.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said an investigation into last month's drone sightings is underway. He briefed DHS chief Alejandro Mayorkas by phone on Wednesday.

Authorities say they are seeking information about drone sightings and are asking witnesses to call the FBI hotline at 1-800-225-5324 or leave a tip on the agency's website.

New Jersey state of emergency: Can you shoot down a drone?

As vigilance grows over unidentified swarms of drones -- many of which are reportedly larger than what hobbyists would acquire -- residents have been asking if they can be shot down.

The question is coming up more and more frequently as the use of drones for commercial and recreational purposes has surged. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, as of Oct. 1, there were 791,597 registered drones in the U.S. Of course, there may be others that aren't registered.

So, can you shoot a hovering drone with a gun or other projectile? The answer is no.

The FAA says it's illegal to shoot any aircraft, including drones.

A retired New Jersey fire captain recently faced criminal charges for shooting a drone that was hovering over his Florida home with a 9mm pistol. He believed the drone was spying on him. This is a Walmart delivery drone.

Shooting down a drone isn't the only way to disable it. Other methods include setting up nets and jamming drone signals.

How to stop drones from flying over your property?

Even if a drone flies over your property, the Federal Aviation Administration says homeowners can't control that airspace.

You can contact a professional drone removal service that can use nets and other drone jamming gun equipment to block a drone without damaging it, but it's expensive. You can file a complaint with the FAA online. Or you can report the drone to the police.