Levittown-Area Officials Say No Influx Of Drone Calls

File photo. Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com

As the number of mysterious drone sightings increases in the region, law enforcement officials in the Levittown area said Tuesday that they have not received an influx of drone-related calls.

Several area police and emergency management officials said they were not aware reports of drone swarms over the lower end of Bucks County. However, one official noted that there have been scattered reports of unidentified smaller drones from time to time, but they mostly are for small drones spotted over neighborhoods and are likely hobbyist flying around.

Falls Township police Lt. Chris Clark said the department has not received reports of drones as of Tuesday and all of its calls have been for ground-level incidents.

On Facebook, some neighborhood groups have had posts about objects in the sky, but many were of a speculative nature.

Lower Bucks County does sit under several key routes for civilian and military aircraft.

In Central Bucks County, residents and law enforcement in Solebury Township on Sunday evening reported seeing five large drones flying over the area, including near the township building on Sugan Road, according to Detective Cpl. Jonathan Koretzky.

Township police also received reports of two other large objects believed to be drones over Covered Bridge Road.

Kelley Warner, Solebury Township’s chief of police, described the sightings as “abnormal” and encouraged residents to note the time of any sightings.

Across the Delaware River, Hunterdon County has not confirmed any drone activity over the City of Lambertville, but numerous sightings have been reported around the Round Valley Reservoir and near the county’s 9-1-1 center. The bulk of the sightings are around 30 minutes drive from New Hope Borough.

Hunterdon County Sheriff Fred Brown and Public Safety Director Brayden Fahey confirmed last week that the county has received a number of sightings.

“We are taking these sightings seriously and working closely with federal authorities to investigate and address any concerns,” Fahey said.

Concerns have been raised due to the proximity of some sightings near military facilities and key infrastructure like the Round Valley Reservoir, the largest in New Jersey.

Videos claiming to show nighttime sightings near the Round Valley Reservoir have circulated in recent days on social media.

Robert Wheeler Jr., a top FBI official, testified Tuesday before a congressional committee that the drone sightings are under investigation.

The FBI official said some of the sightings have been over sensitive government facilities and they are “concerning.”

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has discussed the matter with U.S. Department of Homeland Security secretary this week.

Speaking with reporters, the governor, described some of the drones as “sophisticated” and capable of “going dark” after being detected, according to the Washington Times.

Fox 29 interviewed retired U.S. Air Force Major General James Poss, an intelligence and drone expert, this week on the sightings across New Jersey.

The expert said that he does not believe the objects sighted have nefarious intent.

“I would bet you that this is not a drone. I would bet you this is possibly a long clunky name Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing aircraft, otherwise…flying cars,” Poss told the TV station.

Law enforcement across New Jersey have been tracking sightings since mid-November. Officials have said some sightings have turned out to be known aircraft or other knowns objects.

Solebury Township and Hunterdon County officials asked residents to report sightings to the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324).

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