Numerous unconfirmed reports of drones spotted flying at locations across New York City surfaced on Thursday.
The first known sighting involved multiple drones spotted flying near Clarke Place West and Jerome Ave. in the Bronx around 5:30 a.m., a law enforcement source told the Daily News.
The drones zoomed off when police arrived at the scene, the source said.
Police radio chatter indicated reports of numerous other drone sightings at locations in Far Rockaway, the Bronx and Staten Island on Thursday night.
A spokesman for the police department said he was not aware of any drone sightings on Thursday.
It is illegal to fly drones in New York City without first obtaining a permit through the NYPD.
The unconfirmed drone sightings came as New Jersey Republican State Sen. Jon Bramnick called for a “limited state of emergency” in response to unidentified drones that were spotted flying in the night sky over the Garden State, ABC’s Action News reported.
On Thursday, White House National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby said the drones do not pose a public health risk, according to a CNN report.
“We have no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or a public safety threat, or have a foreign nexus,” Kirby said.