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CELINA - Authorities remain baffled by local reports of mysterious lights in the nighttime sky that continue to pour into the Mercer County Sheriff's Office.
There are now multiple reports of drone sightings in Darke County, too, according to Darke County Sheriff Mark Whittaker.
"Darke County and Mercer County have experienced drone sightings near the county line. Mercer County Sheriff Timmerman and Sheriff Whittaker have been communicating together on this matter over the last two days and will continue to do so," Whittaker's office said Tuesday in a news release.
Mercer County Sheriff Doug Timmerman told The Daily Standard Monday that over the past four to five days his office has received multiple calls daily, as well as video footage, reporting sightings of multiple drones flying at once around the communities of St. Henry, Fort Recovery, Coldwater and parts of northern Mercer County.
The Mercer County Sheriff's Office is in contact with the Federal Aviation Administration, the FBI and local law enforcement in surrounding counties, including some in Indiana, regarding the sightings, according to a news release.
"We are still working with the FBI and FAA," Timmerman told The Daily Standard on Tuesday, adding that he's been in contact with numerous elected officials.
A sheriff's office official said at least 62 videos of purported drone activity were shared with the agency as of Tuesday afternoon.
Dispatchers on Tuesday evening also relayed reports of drone sights over residences, farm fields and a factory in Mercer County.
Whittaker said his office received two reports of drone sightings in Darke County, including one northwest of Greenville between Greenville and Union City.
A person indicated seeing lights in the sky, presumably drones - but a deputy who responded to the scene found nothing, Whittaker said.
Another person reportedly claimed to have witnessed 14 "large drones" flying in the area of Webster on the east side of Darke County between Versailles and Bradford. This sighting could not be confirmed by the deputy, according to Whittaker.
The sheriff's office is aware of sightings also being reported on social media and has reached out to the FAA "to report and discuss our concerns."
"The Darke County Sheriff's Office will continue to investigate these sightings and attempt to identify the operators and their purpose," Whittaker said. "Anyone with information on this matter please contact the Darke County Sheriff's Office 937-548-2020."
State Rep. Angie King, R-Celina, who represents the 84th District, serving residents of Mercer, Darke and Auglaize counties, claims she's working to "solve drone sighting mystery."
"I appreciate my constituents reaching out to my office with their concerns about these unidentified drones. I have been working with local, state and federal agencies to try and get answers," King said in a statement. "I have been in contact with the local sheriffs in the district to see if there is anything I can do to help and I encourage the people of Mercer and Darke counties to continue to report sightings of drones to their local law enforcement as they continue to investigate the source of these drones with the FAA and FBI."
Drones for commercial and recreational use have grown rapidly in popularity, despite restrictions on who can operate them and where they can be flown.
No-fly zones are enforced around airports, military installations, nuclear plants, certain landmarks - including the Statue of Liberty - and sports stadiums during games.
Not everybody follows the rules. Sightings at airports have shut down flights in a few instances.
The FAA is responsible for the regulations governing their use, and Congress has written some requirements into law.
With a 2018 law, the Preventing Emerging Threats Act, Congress gave certain agencies in the Homeland Security and Justice departments authority to counter threats from unmanned aircraft to protect the safety of certain facilities.
New drones must be outfitted with equipment allowing law enforcement to identify the operator, and Congress gave the agencies the power to detect and take down unmanned aircraft that they consider dangerous.
The law spells out where the counter-drone measures can be used, including "national special security events" such as presidential inaugurations and other large gatherings of people.
To get a "remote pilot certificate," you must be at least 16 years old, be proficient in English, pass an aeronautics exam, and not suffer from a "mental condition that would interfere with the safe operation of a small unmanned aircraft system."
Yes, but the FAA imposes restrictions on nighttime operations. Most drones are not allowed to fly at night unless they are equipped with anti-collision lights that are visible for at least 3 miles.
Some state and local officials in New Jersey are calling for stronger restrictions because of the recent sightings, and that has the drone industry worried.
Scott Shtofman, director of government affairs at the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International, said putting more limits on drones could have a "chilling effect" on "a growing economic engine for the United States."
"We would definitely oppose anything that is blindly pushing for new regulation of what are right now legal drone operations," he said.
AirSight, a company that sells software against "drone threats," says more than 20 states have enacted laws against privacy invasion by drones, including Peeping Toms.
Will Austin, president of Warren County Community College in New Jersey, and founder of its drone program, says it's up to users to reduce public concern about the machines.
He said operators must explain why they are flying when confronted by people worried about privacy or safety.
"It's a brand new technology that's not really understood real well, so it will raise fear and anxiety in a lot of people," Austin said. "We want to be good professional aviators and alleviate that."
- The Associated Press contributed to this article.
