WASHINGTON, D.C. – Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) has proposed legislation to equip state and local law enforcement with authority needed to protect their citizens and communities from drone threats.

“State and local law enforcement agencies cannot ensure the safety of their communities when the federal government restricts their ability to respond to active drone threats,” Lee says.

On Sept. 7, Lee introduced the Stopping Harmful Incidents to Enforce Lawful Drone Use (SHIELD-U) Act in the U.S. Senate.

Obviously, the SHIELD-U Act is not intended to restrict the use of the more than 11,000 armed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV’s) that are paired with ground control stations operated by the Department of Defense here in the United States for training purposes and overseas for tactical and strategic missions.

Typical examples of armed military UAV’s are the MQ-1 Predators and MQ-9 Reapers that have been such potent weapons in the War on Terror.

The so-called “drone threat” facing civil authorities here in the United States is from the increase use of commercial and recreational drones, according to Lee.

The SHIELD-U Act would give the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as well as state and local authorities the authority to detect, identify and mitigate drone threats on commercial service airport property, including the airspace involved in the take-offs and landings of aircraft.

It further grants state and local law enforcement similar counter-drone authority within their respective jurisdictions.

As of April of this year, the number of drones in the United States being flown for recreational purposed was more than 850,000.

The number of commercial drones registered with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is more than 315,000.

Those numbers do not include the drones flown by hobbyists. The FAA does require that drones weighing less than a half a pound be registered; those are considered mere toys.

The FAA predicts that the number of commercial drones is expected to double by 2024, with recreational drones expected to peak at 1.5 million.

At the most basic level, commercial drone pilots fly UAV’s for companies in a range of industries for varying purposes. Some companies use drones to take aerial photos and videos for marketing purposes, while other companies use drones for aerial surveillance.

Most drones, however, are helping various industries to become safer, as well as more efficient, productive and secure.

Those industries include agriculture, construction, public safety, emergency services, mining, surveying and more.

In July, however, officials of the Biden administration told Senate lawmakers that Illegal drone flights risk catastrophic harm to US airports, a threat that will worsen if Congress doesn’t act quickly to extend and expand federal authorities to combat the devices.

Samantha Vinograd, acting DHS assistant secretary for counter-terrorism and threat prevention told senators that there had been more than 2,000 drone sightings near airports since last year and said dozens of those incidents caused pilots to take “evasive actions.”

Criminal organizations also use drones to monitor law enforcement at the border and transport narcotics and contraband, she said.

The administration is pushing a bill that would give the Transportation Security Administration new authority to detect and disrupt drones proactively around airports.

Current federal authority to restrict drone use expires in October, but Lee’s solution to the problem is to empower local authorities.

“Rather than waiting on the federal government – which often lacks the resources and capital to respond to threats effectively – this bill grants local authorities the latitude to quickly identify and mitigate drone threats,” Lee explains.

Would you like to have the day's news stories delivered right to your inbox every evening? Enter your email below to start!

Like to see Lee doing Bidens bidding. After watching him grovel for Trump, sycophant is the best description I have for Sen. lee.

Yeah, this is where Lee loses me every time. One side of his mouth he preaches smaller government but his actions usually increase government. Earlier this year there was a mass of illegal immigrants in limbo under an overpass along the border. 8000+ plus by some estimates. Inadequate water, food, shelter. Drone footage of the humanitarian crisis went viral. Government answer: airspace restrictions on drones. Bad Lee.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Would you like to have the day's news stories delivered right to your inbox every evening? Enter your email below to start!