Don’t Fly Drones In These 2 Essex County Towns, Feds Say – For Now

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Two Essex County neighborhoods are now on the federal government’s temporary no-fly list for drones: Short Hills and Cedar Grove.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has banned drone flights in several New Jersey towns for "special security reasons" until mid-January. Read More: Drone No-Fly Zone Expands Across NJ (See Where)

A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said the temporary flight restrictions were issued over critical infrastructure facilities in New Jersey "out of an abundance of caution."

Drones are legal in New Jersey for recreational and commercial use, but they are subject to local and FAA regulations and flight restrictions.

Authorities have been looking into reports of drones hovering around Garden State communities and near important infrastructure for more than a month, with multiple federal agencies involved in the investigation. And despite concerns from residents and local officials about the aircrafts' origin and purpose, those agencies insist there is no threat to the public.

The FAA has issued 57 drone flight restrictions over parts of New Jersey since Nov. 18. Click here to view all temporary flight restrictions.

Cedar Grove was among nearly two dozen New Jersey towns where drone flights were initially banned. The temporary hiatus will lift on Jan. 17 (read the advisory here).

Short Hills – a Census-designated place within Millburn Township – was added to the list on Dec. 24. The temporary ban will lift on Jan. 20 (read the advisory here).

No other Essex County towns, cities or neighborhoods are on the temporary ban list as of Friday afternoon.

DRONES IN THE SKY – OR SOMETHING ELSE?

Since first appearing nearly a month ago, nightly drone sightings have been reported across the state. Most of the sightings have been happening from dusk to dawn. Federal investigators say they haven’t been able to figure out where the drones are coming from, but have claimed they aren’t a threat.

Their explanations haven’t held much weight with increasingly frustrated residents and local officials, who are demanding more transparency from federal agencies such as U.S. Homeland Security and the FBI.

A reader in Essex County recently shared two videos that show lights in the sky above Bloomfield and West Caldwell on the evening of Dec. 13 (watch footage below).

“I believed then and now that they were drones due to physical appearance and their movement,” she told Patch.

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One of the more extreme theories about the origin of the drones was U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew’s suggestion that the devices may coming from an off-shore Iranian “mothership” – a claim that the congressman has since taken back. Read More: NJ Rep Walks Back Iranian Drone 'Mothership' Theory

Federal authorities have acknowledged that some of the drone sightings are real – although they’re likely just local hobbyists or drone enthusiasts legally taking their devices for a spin. Federal Aviation Administration regulations changed in 2023, allowing people to fly them at night – which may be contributing to the rise in sightings.

But for every “genuine” drone sighting there may be lots of cases of mistaken identity, officials say.

The FBI said it has received tips of more than 5,000 reported drone sightings in the last few weeks. Their analysis so far?

“Having closely examined the technical data and tips from concerned citizens, we assess that the sightings to date include a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones, and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and stars mistakenly reported as drones. We have not identified anything anomalous and do not assess the activity to date to present a national security or public safety risk over the civilian airspace in New Jersey or other states in the northeast.”

The FBI Newark, New Jersey State Police and New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness are asking the public to report any information related to drone sightings to the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI. People can also submit tips online at tips.fbi.gov.

• See Related: Frustration Over NJ Drone Mystery Builds In Essex County
• See Related: NJ Drones And ‘Radioactive Material’ Rumor Debunked; Mayor Skeptical
• See Related: 5 Ways To Take Action On Drone Mystery: NJ Congresswoman

This article contains reporting by Michelle Rotuno-Johnson, Patch staff

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