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Mayor, county and police describe federal drone briefing; officials urge residents to report sightings to FBI
Summary
Mayor James Barberio and township officials summarized a Dec. 6 federal briefing on widespread drone sightings, saying federal agencies see many lawful or misidentified sightings and urging residents to report tips to the FBI; local officials said they remain frustrated by limited transparency.
Town officials told residents at the Dec. 7 Parsippany (Troy Hills) Township Council meeting that a federal briefing convened by the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs included senior representatives from the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Defense and the Federal Aviation Administration.
Business Administrator Jamie Scribe summarized the call’s key points, saying federal officials acknowledged the volume of reported sightings and described a mix of lawful commercial and hobbyist drones, law-enforcement aircraft and misidentified manned aircraft or other objects. Scribe said the federal partners "have no reason to believe the drones are dangerous or that they pose a risk to national security," and encouraged residents to report sightings so investigative leads can be developed.
Scribe said the FBI had received thousands of tips since the investigation began; the agency has reviewed those reports and identified a smaller subset as leads for follow-up. He urged residents to use the FBI reporting process, acknowledging the reporting system is time-consuming. "If you have information, send it to the FBI," Scribe told the council.
Mayor James Barberio said local officials remain frustrated by the limited public information and described participating in the briefing and in local briefings with county emergency-management partners. He also described community outreach activities he engaged in during the same period, including visiting hospital patients, saying those public engagements were a priority for him in the moment.
Local law-enforcement and county emergency-management officials were described as actively coordinating updates for municipalities. Council members asked for clearer, more streamlined options for residents to submit reports to federal investigators and for public education campaigns to reduce misinformation.
Next steps: county and local police will continue to coordinate with federal partners; officials urged residents to file reports with the FBI and said they will seek improved avenues for public reporting and information distribution.
