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Gov. Hochul calls on feds to give NY more authority over drones, following airport hiccup
By
David Giambusso
Published Dec 14, 2024
Modified Dec 14, 2024
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By
David Giambusso
Published Dec 14, 2024
Modified Dec 14, 2024
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Gov. Kathy Hochul is calling on Congress to crack down on drone usage after a small New York airport had to close its runways Friday, due to alleged drone activity.
The incident comes as anxiety over alleged drone sightings in the skies of New Jersey and New York in recent weeks has evolved into a low-flying panic attack. Political leaders from Washington Township, NJ to Washington D.C. are calling for more robust federal action while federal security officials said many of the sightings are lawfully manned aircraft and pose no threat to anyone.
Still, Hochul said the incident at Stewart — a former military base-turned airport about 70 miles north of the city — was the last straw.
"This has gone too far," the governor said in a statement Saturday. She called on Congress to pass a bill to strengthen FAA oversight of drones and give state law enforcement more leeway to engage in “counter-UAS activities,” referring to unmanned aircraft systems.
“Extending these powers to New York State and our peers is essential,” the governor said. “Until those powers are granted to state and local officials, the Biden Administration must step in by directing additional federal law enforcement to New York and the surrounding region to ensure the safety of our critical infrastructure and our people.”
It’s still unclear what, if anything, is causing the outcry, but many local leaders say the federal government has a responsibility to at least be more communicative about what it’s doing to investigate.
“What if there were 3,000 reports of drones or manned aircraft sightings over the U.S. Capitol or the White House?” Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella said Friday. “There would be an immediate and intense response to figure out what they were and to solve the problem.”
Correction: A previous version of this story misstated the distance between New York City and Stewart Airport.
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new york city
public safety
transportation
Kathy Hochul
new jersey
drones
David Giambusso
David is the editor of the Day-of desk. Got a tip? Email [email protected].
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