Drone Sightings Increase In VA: How To Report To Police

VIRGINIA — Virginia authorities are investigating a spike in mysterious drone sightings in the Commonwealth as similar activity continues across the eastern United States.

In a statement issued Tuesday, Virginia State Police said the agency had received more than 150 tips regarding possible drone activity this month. The update came as the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and other agencies have been investigating similar sightings in states including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Connecticut and New York.

Law enforcement is encouraging Virginians to report any suspicious drone sightings to the Virginia Fusion Center at vfc@vfc.vsp.virginia.gov.

“We encourage anyone that witnesses a drone flying over critical infrastructure, such as energy installations or military sites, to contact the Virginia Fusion Center,” state police said in a statement. “This will enable us to work with our partners to determine exactly what is occurring and how to move forward.”

Related: Can You Shoot Down Drones In VA? What To Know

Federal officials have said nothing so far suggests that any of the drone sightings have posed a national security or public safety threat. Authorities said many of the drone sightings have actually been legal drones, manned aircraft, helicopters and even stars.

“There are more than 1 million drones that are lawfully registered with the Federal Aviation Administration here in the United States,” White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said Monday. “And there are thousands of commercial, hobbyist and law enforcement drones that are lawfully in the sky on any given day. That is the ecosystem that we are dealing with.”

Gov. Glenn Youngkin has raised concerns over multiple drones spotted in the state, which is home to many national security sites. He said Saturday that federal authorities have not been forthcoming about sharing information.

“The Commonwealth of Virginia is home to a significant number of national security and critical infrastructure sites upon which our nation depends each and every day. I remain deeply concerned that Virginia has consistently sought information from federal partners, and to date, the information shared with the Commonwealth has been insufficient,” Youngkin said in a statement.

The federal government has deployed personnel and advanced technology to investigate the reports in New Jersey and other states, and is evaluating each tip reported by citizens, he said.

About 100 of the more than 5,000 drone sightings reported to the FBI in recent weeks were deemed credible enough to warrant more investigation, according to a joint statement by the Department of Homeland Security, FBI, Federal Aviation Administration and Department of Defense.

Despite federal officials' comments, many state and municipal lawmakers have nonetheless called for stricter rules about who can fly unmanned aircraft — and for the authority to shoot them out of the sky.

In Virginia, it is against the law to shoot at a drone, state police said.

"State law does prohibit flying drones within 50 feet of a residence unless the person is authorized by the federal government to operate and is doing so lawfully and consistent with federal regulations," police said.

Commonwealth law also requires drones to remain in sight of either the operator or a visual observer and have a maximum allowable altitude of 400 feet unless waived by federal regulators. Operators are required to have a remote pilot certificate for recreational use or a license from the FAA for commercial use.

Residents can learn more about the rules and regulations at Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) | Federal Aviation Administration.

The Virginia Fusion Center Shield Program has released additional information on drones available at All Sectors Bulletin - UAV Assessment.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.