Drone Sightings In Cape Cod, MetroWest Communities: What We Know

MASSACHUSETTS — Residents of Cape Cod now have confirmation that unidentified drones are flying over their communities, joining what are confirmed drones in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut.

The Harwich Police Department, on Cape Cod, issued a statement confirming the presence of unidentified drones.

Harwich police said they received a report from a resident on Dec. 12 that 10 to 15 drones were flying around their neighborhood around 9 p.m. that day. An off-duty officer said they noticed similar activity earlier that evening.

Local police have reported the drone sightings to the FBI's Boston office and the Massachusetts State Police.

Reports also state that Natick police have reported drone sightings to the same agencies, and WCVB said they received other, unconfirmed reports from communities including Framingham and Brookline.

This comes after similar drone sightings in New Jersey.

• Read more: ‘Drone Mothership’ Update, New Reporting Protocols Released In NJ

Morris County has been a hotspot for drone sightings since they first started appearing, which was around Nov. 18. But almost four weeks later, state and federal officials have little to share about the origin or purpose of these nighttime visitors.

State police have reports of between four and 180 sightings per night, according to Murello and State Assemblywoman Dawn Fantastia (R-24).

"At this point I think I would feel better if these were aliens," Murello wrote in a summary of the meeting.

Only the federal government can authorize the takedown of a drone, Murello and several other local officials noted.

"Until the Department of Defense decides to take proactive action on the drones, the State, County and local police can do nothing but watch and track them," Murello said. State police are deploying a new dashboard for tracking and managing drones, he added.

The Department of Defense issued a statement over the weekend regarding the sightings. It confirmed that sightings have been recorded over two military installations in New Jersey but said such sightings are typical.

"We have had confirmed sightings at Picatinny Arsenal and Naval Weapons Station Earle," a spokesperson said. "This is not a new issue for us. We've had to deal with drone incursions over our bases for quite a time now. It's something that we routinely respond to in each and every case when reporting is cited."

Officials with the agency have yet to confirm who is responsible for flying the drones.

Boston Arrests

Two people, 42-year-old Robert Duffy, of Charlestown, and 32-year-old Jeremy Folcik, of Bridgewater, Massachusetts were arrested on Saturday after what Boston police are calling "hazardous drone operation" near Boston Logan Airport airspace.

The arrests were made on Long Island, part of the Boston Harbor Islands, officials said.

Police specializing in "real-time crime surveillance" detected a drone "operating dangerously close to Logan International Airport" around 4:30 p.m.

"Leveraging advanced UAS monitoring technology, the Officer identified the drone’s location, altitude, flight history, and the operators’ position on Long Island," police said.

Members of the Boston Police Harbor Patrol Unit were dispatched to Long Island and located three people inside the decommissioned Long Island Health Campus. Upon attempting to make contact, the suspects fled on foot.

Two of the three individuals were apprehended and identified as Duffy and Folcik. During the investigation, a drone was discovered inside a backpack carried by Duffy.

A continued search for the third suspect, believed to have fled the island in a small vessel, was conducted by officers and the Massachusetts State Police.

Duffy and Folcik are scheduled to be arraigned in Dorchester District Court on charges of trespassing. Further charges may be filed pending the outcome of the ongoing investigation.