While some New Jerseyans are ready to take down drones on their own, experts say it’s easier said than done.

Shooting down drones is far more difficult than people assume, said Joel Anderson, counter-drone expert and founder of a company called ZeroMark, which produces AI-powered, auto-aiming devices for firearms to take out drones.

“It’s considered shooting down an aircraft, from a legal perspective,” he said. “Our current laws are a swamp of complexity, and it’s just a total legislative nightmare.”

Shooting down a drone is illegal and violates federal law in New Jersey, as drones are regulated by the FAA, according to New Jersey State Police. If you shoot down a drone, you could face significant fines – up to $250,000 – and imprisonment of up to 20 years.

Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden advised residents to resist the urge to defend the skies on their own.

“There’s been a lot of talk about shooting these things down,” Golden said Saturday. “I want to say this – please do not do so.

How to approach a downed drone

The state Division of Fire Safety sent out a bulletin to first responders that it developed with State Police and the FBI about how to deal with any downed drones.

They told responders not to approach any downed drones, instead they should notify local law enforcement, the FBI, bomb squads, State Police and local Hazardous Materials Response units.

Manchester Township Police released a statement advising that, if you come across a downed drone, you should not approach it.

“Leave the area and contact your local law enforcement immediately,” the statement said.

Calling 911 is not necessary, Manchester Police said. They advised the public to call the FBI directly at 800-225-5324. Tips, including videos, can be uploaded to the FBI’s website.

The quick advance of drone technology is bringing a growing danger, Anderson said.

Many videos on YouTube show Ukrainian soldiers shooting Russian drones out of the sky, he said. “But there are far, far more of them trying and failing,” Anderson said.

Inexpensive technology can allow an explosives-laden drone flying over an event to foil any attempt to jam it.

“You’d have to shoot it. But they don’t have the tech to shoot it, and they don’t have the legal authority to shoot it until they’ve seen one detonate” possibly in a crowd, he said.

Anderson said there is both a technology gap and a legal gap.

“If (drones) were weaponized, we’d be defenseless,” he said, adding that Mexican drug cartels have been using them to drop bombs on the military and police, he said.

Rep. Chris Smith, R-Manchester, said in a briefing Saturday he is drafting federal legislation to empower local authorities to take action, at the request of Golden. 

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“We know that the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) and the federal government are solely in charge of the airways and drone operations as we see them today,” Golden said. “We’re calling upon Congress, and Congressman Smith’s leading the way, to modify legislation so that not just three federal agencies are able to have drone detection and de-drone equipment. This is a national public safety and security issue.”