New Jersey
Can New Jerseyans take down drones themselves? Here’s what experts say
Drones NJ: Ocean County Sheriff’s Department sets drone command post
Ocean County Sheriff Michael Mastronardy and his team join the hunt for unidentified drones over Seaside Heights
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.
“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.”
New Jersey
N.J. group demands review of Trenton immigration arrest operation at auto shop
U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-Mercer, said in a statement on Facebook that she has been briefed about the incident and her office is monitoring the situation.
Pazmino said her organization is calling on members of the community to come together.
“Brown and Black immigrant communities and nonimmigrant communities are welcome, and should be uniting against this force,” she said.
She is also calling on local officials to assist relatives of those taken into custody.
“We need to support families affected by these kidnappings, with mutual aid, donations and anything else you think will help each other,” Pazmino said.
A woman identified as Andrea, while holding her 1-year-old daughter, Genesis, tearfully spoke in Spanish about the anguish she feels and her fears about the future without her husband Christian, one of the men taken into custody. A friend, who translated her word into English, said Christian was a good and honest man.
“If he used to see a neighbor carrying something heavy, he would run to help them. If a friend needed a favor, he didn’t ask, he just did it,” she said.
She said “his daughter was his whole world. He would wake up to her and give her kisses every morning. He would play with her after a long day at work. He loved us and protected us. He didn’t do anything wrong, so why was he taken?”
The Rev. Erich Kussman, St. Bartholomew’s pastor, said the entire Lutheran Church stands with the family.
“Anything you need, you can come to us. I want you to know that. I will stand with you, and we will do what we can to protect you, because that’s the call of the gospel of Jesus Christ,” he said.
“Standing with ICE is antithetical to the gospel of Jesus Christ, hands down,” he added. “Fifty-one times the scriptures tell us to welcome the immigrant and foreigner as one of our own. If you’re not living true to that gospel, the words of Christ himself, you are not a Christian, no matter what you claim to be.”
With immigration enforcement activity on the rise in New Jersey, lawmakers have proposed several bills to expand protections for immigrant communities. One measure called the “Fight Unlawful Conduct and Keep Individuals and Communities Empowered Act” would allow individuals to file a lawsuit against ICE agents who violate their constitutional rights.
Another proposed bill would require any business that operates a private prison or detention facility in the state to pay a tax equal to 50% of the taxpayer’s gross receipts derived from the operation of the facility during the previous year. The bill also stipulates all revenues generated would go to an “immigration protection fund.”
Recently proposed legislation would prohibit ICE agents from ever holding a public job in the Garden State, and New Jersey U.S. Sens. Cory Booker and Andy Kim are proposing legislation to prevent new funding for the Department of Homeland Security from being used to purchase a warehouse in Roxbury, New Jersey.
Requests for comment from ICE and the U.S. Marshals Service were not immediately returned.
New Jersey
Spring’s coming; Sunny, warm Saturday and significant warm-up ahead NJ
A brief respite from cold weather is ahead of New Jersey this weekend, before temperatures continue to rise late next week, according to the National Weather Service.
Saturday, Feb. 28 will be sunny across the Garden State, and temperatures will be comfortable, reaching the high 40s and low 50s.
Then, a brief artic cold front is expected to move into the region late on Saturday night, bringing temps to low 30’s and some scattered snow showers on Sunday, especially in North Jersey.
During the week, a couple low pressure systems are in the NWS forecast. Little snow if any is expected from these systems, especially in the late week, when a significant warm-up is expected.
Asbury Park and Monmouth County weekend weather forecast
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 45.
Saturday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 33.
Sunday: Partly sunny and a chance of snow before 1 p.m. The high should be near 39. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Sunday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 22.
Wildwoods and Atlantic County weather forecast
Saturday: Partly sunny, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 56.
Saturday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 31.
Sunday: Partly sunny and a slight chance of rain before 1 p.m. The high should be near 44. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Sunday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 19.
Newark and Essex County weather forecast
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 53.
Saturday night: Increasing clouds, with a low around 32.
Sunday: Cloudy and scattered snow showers before 1 p.m. Then gradual clearing of skies, with a high near 39. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Sunday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 17.
Juan Carlos Castillo is a New Jersey-based trending reporter for the USA Today Network. Find him on Twitter at _JCCastillo.
New Jersey
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