Lack of drone transparency 'unacceptable': Connecticut senator
(NewsNation) — Connecticut State Sen. Tony Hwang is demanding transparency from federal agencies after the mysterious drone sightings in the northeastern United States have extended to The Constitution State.
Unauthorized drone sightings were reported last week at the train station in Fairfield. Since then, the community has been “abuzz with speculation and uncertainty without information” about the sightings, Hwang said at a news conference on Monday.
“For me, as a state senator and as a former public safety committee chair, we’re familiar with drones,” Hwang, a Republican, said. “But I’m also extremely concerned that we are not getting answers.”
The Connecticut sightings were reported as reports of drones and other unknown objects seen in the sky have been reported in New York, New Jersey and several other locations around the United States. Lawmakers and local residents alike have expressed frustration with what is seen as a lack of transparency from federal agencies, including the FBI, about drone activity.
The FBI has only said they do not believe the drones belong to the U.S. military and that they are not being sent by foreign governments.
Hwang said Monday he plans to send a letter to the Department of Homeland Security for assurances that the drones are not creating a safety concern for residents and are benign. He said he is acting on behalf of Fairfield residents for information that is “critically needed” that will guide state officials and will empower local law enforcement to act.
Although state officials have set up a hotline for drone sightings to be reported, the state has no process to process what is happening.
“At present, we’re at a standstill,” Hwang said. “We’re not getting that information from our federal authorities.”
He added: “It’s unacceptable.”
Hwang called the lack of federal information “a breakdown of transparency” and cited the number of weeks that have passed since the sightings began as his frustration. He said that neither option that federal agencies don’t know what the objects are or what drones are doing in the skies is good.
He said that the other possibility is that the government knows what is behind the drone activity and is not sharing that information with local communities.
Hwang also called for anti-drone detection technology that is said to be on its way to New York and New Jersey after being requested by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and U.S. Sen. and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer should also be sent to Connecticut.
He called the situation “alarming” and said the lack of response from federal authorities is "unconscionable."
Hwang's office has received numerous reports about sightings, but residents do not want to be perceived as conspiracy theorists, he said. But without more information, Hwang fears people will take the matter into their own hands, which he calls dangerous.
He said that the hands of local law enforcement agencies are tied and cannot respond to drone activity because they do not have enough substantial information to act.
“Without fact, we lead to speculation and speculation leads to uncertainty and potentially fear,” Hwang said. “And we cannot allow that.”