NJ mayors demand action, transparency after flurry of mystery drones sighted over state
Gov. Phil Murphy says there is 'no known threat to the public at this time'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}New Jersey mayors are demanding answers for their constituents after a flurry of mysterious drones have reappeared over roughly a dozen counties night after night, inviting questions about their purpose and origins.
Washington Township Mayor Matthew Murello and Mine Hill Township Mayor Sam Morris are among the officials who penned a letter to Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, urging his office to "take immediate action" and "provide transparency" while addressing these concerns.
They say the ongoing mystery has created fear and frustration among their communities.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}DRONE SIGHTING REPORTED OVER NEW JERSEY'S LARGEST RESERVOIR AS FEDS INVESTIGATE UNNERVING PHENOMENON
Phil Murphy, governor of New Jersey, speaks during the 2023 State of the State Address at the New Jersey State House in Trenton, New Jersey, US, on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023. (Aristide Economopoulos/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
"The governor was very nice in calling me back yesterday and basically said the same thing we've known all along. There doesn't appear to be any safety concerns, but that there's really no information as to who's piloting these drones, what they're doing, where they're going or where they're coming from, and that's really the main concern we have as mayors for our constituents," Murello said Monday on "Fox & Friends."
Morris also spoke with Gov. Murphy on Sunday and received the same information.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"They're [the governor's office is] very frustrated and frustrated with the feds. I said to him, ‘Governor, these things have a limited power range and life, and they need to be followed, so I kind of said to him… this idea that I came up with, which is ‘follow a drone home’ program. Somebody get a drone up there, somebody get a helicopter up there. They have to come back to Earth, and then we're going to know who's driving them. If they don't know, they need to know. That's what our residents are demanding," he said.
"I think that's why with Matt and the other mayors, we are so frustrated because we're getting a lot of heat for something that we have zero control or say over."
NEW JERSEY LEADERS SPEAK TO DHS AS UNUSUAL DRONE SIGHTINGS NOW ALSO REPORTED OVER NEW YORK
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}This graphic shows locations of reported mystery drone sightings in New Jersey. (Fox & Friends/Screengrab)
He told Fox News some drones reportedly are the size of small cars and could hurt or kill someone if they lose power and fall.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Spadea, who is a host on New Jersey's 101.5 talk radio, said the same on Sunday, adding that his station has been fielding calls regarding the sightings and the topic has consumed the last week and a half.
Gov. Murphy posted to X that "there is no known threat to the public at this time" last Thursday. State officials have said they are taking the mystery drone sightings "seriously."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}At the same time, the FBI is leading an investigation into the matter. Fox News Digital previously reached out to the agency for information but did not receive an immediate response.
Fox News' Pilar Arias contributed to this report.