New Jersey mayors are getting "nothing" from federal officials on the drone sightings over the state that have stirred public panic over the past month, Washington Township Mayor Matt Murello told Newsmax on Friday.
"People just have absolutely no faith in the federal government. The mayors of New Jersey were involved in a conference call with the white House, the FAA, the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI the other day, where we were told that they investigated 5,000 drone reports and zero, zero of them, in their expert opinion, resulted in anything other than a domestic drone, an aircraft, and even misidentification of stars," Murello said on "National Report."
"So, if we're seeing stars, why put a temporary flight restriction on there? Either they're there or they're not there. I really don't understand. And my residents and the residents of northwest New Jersey that have been seeing these drones now for five weeks, all we want is some type of answer. And if the answer is its national security, fine. But all we're getting is nothing."
The FAA on Wednesday temporarily banned drone flights in 22 areas of New Jersey where critical infrastructure is located. FAA officials said the flight restrictions were requested by federal security agencies and are effective through Jan. 17.
Federal and local authorities have been investigating sightings of suspected drones, but officials say there has been nothing so far to suggest that any have posed a national security or public safety threat. Authorities said many of the drone sightings have been legal drones, manned aircraft, helicopters, and even stars.
Murello said government officials need to be transparent.
"Anytime you don't have answers to something, and you have anyone in government telling you that what you see and what you hear is not there, or that it's something to not be worried about, but not tell us why. That's what's going to further these concerns," he said.
"We've been told by the state, the governor's office and the state police and now the FBI and DHS and the FAA, that there's nothing to be worried about. Great. Then just tell us what's going on. These are not drones that are something you're going to buy at the hobby store. These are 6-foot-wide drones, and they hover, and we don't know what they're doing. We would love someone to tell us, just like Mayor Bill de Blasio said, what are they doing? What are they acquiring?
"And frankly, if they are getting video, that's a bit of a privacy issue for people around here, too. There's no reason for you to be acquiring all of this data from an area of northwest New Jersey where there really is nothing to look at. You want pictures of cows? I'll be happy to send them to you from the federal government. Just don't do it in such a way that's absolutely driving everybody crazy. And every single night since the 18th of November, we've had them. We've seen them and they're here."
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