Federal law enforcement officials warned the public on Monday to not shine high-powered lasers at flying objects at night as the public increasingly looks for drone activity following recent media reporting.
FBI Newark and New Jersey State Police said that there has been “an increase in pilots of manned aircraft being hit in the eyes with lasers because people on the ground think they see an Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS).”
Authorities also said that there has been increased concerns about people firing weapons at what they believe are UAS but, in reality, are manned aircraft.
“There could be dangerous and possibly deadly consequences if manned aircraft are targeted mistakenly as UAS,” the statement said.
“To improve accuracy and prevent false sightings, a variety of tools and techniques can be used to assist with the visual identification of suspected UAS,” the statement said. “Accurate identification is critical for maintaining safety and ensuring appropriate responses to UAS activity.”
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The statement said federal, state, and local law enforcement officials were monitoring drone activity every night in the area in response to the drone sightings and that they would “track down operators acting illegally or with nefarious intent and using every available tool and piece of equipment to find the answers the public is seeking.”
Authorities encouraged the public to also use publicly available websites and apps that show live flight patterns, satellite movement, and more to hopefully avoid misidentifying objects.
— FBI Newark (@FBINewark) December 16, 2024
