Some Connecticut officials are frustrated with the federal response to drone sightings in the region.
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) said on Monday morning that drone-specific radar should be deployed to determine what’s been flying around the northeast.
Federal authorities have maintained that the drones, which have been spotted over military bases and residential areas, don’t pose a threat.
But Blumenthal said the agencies should be more forthcoming about what they’re doing to study them. He echoed Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s calls for drone-specific radar in the region.
“The Department of Homeland Security and the FAA are lagging, and I believe that the solution ought to include deploying the drone-specific radar technology that's available right now,” Blumenthal said.
The drones have been spotted for weeks in New Jersey. Last week, Connecticut residents began to see them, too.
This weekend, Connecticut Republican senators asked the federal government to dedicate more resources to local law enforcement investigating the aircraft.
“This unsettling drone activity is becoming increasingly more widespread. In Fairfield. On the CT-MA border. This situation clearly merits urgency. The public is alarmed. We must ensure the safety of the northeastern U.S.’s infrastructure and our residents. That requires transparency and frequent communication,” the statement from Senator Tony Hwang (R-Fairfield) and some of his colleagues said in a statement.
Nearly 800,000 drones are registered with the Federal Aviation Administration for commercial and recreational use.
