DEDHAM, Mass. — Speculation is running rampant regarding a sharp intake in drone sightings across the East Coast and in Massachusetts.
A source in Washington told Boston 25 there is frustration among some members of Congress, including Massachusetts lawmakers regarding a lack of information about recent drone sightings from New Jersey to Boston.
The same frustration was expressed to Boston 25 News by members of the public.
“I just think there’s too many flying around for it to be, like, recreational,” Lynn resident Ryan Sweeney told Boston 25 News. “I think the government knows what’s going on and they don’t want to tell us.”
Two men were arraigned on trespassing charges in Dorchester District Court on Monday. They are accused of flying a drone dangerously close to Logan Airport this weekend from Long Island in Boston Harbor.
“[They have]cooperated with everything, there’s no reports of anything having been broken, and if this had happened two months ago it would be, ‘Guys, you shouldn’t be filming here,’ and it wouldn’t be a big issue,” defense attorney Michael Martin told reporters after the arraignment. The FAA declined to comment on the case but did tell Boston 25 News more than 1 million drones are registered with the FAA.
Federal data also reveals more than 368,000 active “Remote” pilots nationwide, including nearly 5,700 in Massachusetts.
The FBI and Homeland Security both say there’s nothing to suggest the drones pose a threat or that they’re connected to a foreign country, and that most drone sightings turn out to be planes.
However, in a statement last week, both agencies acknowledge the reports highlight what they say is the “insufficiency of current authorities.”
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