Amanda Forrester / news@whmi.com

Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard is calling for lawmakers to address the “clear and present danger” posed by drones.

In a press release from Bouchard on Monday, he said drones have been used “with great devastation in war, terrorism, by the cartels and by lone bad actors. It is easy to weaponize a store-purchased drone and yet, Washington has not provided the necessary authority or tools needed to combat this emerging threat.”

Drones had 729,000 airspace violations, 664,000 airport airspace violations, nearly 13,000 flights over power infrastructure, over 14,000 flights over correctional facilities and over 12,000 flights over mass events and entertainment venues around the country during 2024, the press release said.

Bouchard said there is a “near unanimous belief amongst law enforcement and Department of Homeland Security professionals that we need to have state-of-the-art drone detection and counter-drone capabilities. Whether it is a nation-state adversary or a lone individual, the threat is real, and it is here now. The individual who shot President-elect Trump used a drone for pre-operational surveillance. It could have been just as easily used as a secondary or a primary attack device with greater standoff capability.”

Stadiums owned by NFL teams have a “high priority” to ensure there are no drones used around the venues, but the same concern isn’t put on other locations where crowds gather, the press release said.

New Jersey has made national news recently due to drone activity across the state. Lawmakers in the state are also pushing for a plan to address drones.

“Washington must give state and local law enforcement the authority to enforce FAA law and regulation on drones as well as authority to intervene when they are committing a crime or pose a threat,” the press release said.

Drones have also reportedly been used to smuggle items into prisons and jails, including weapons and cell phones, according to the press release. They have also allegedly been used to attack sites around the world using explosives.

Drones can also prevent emergency aircraft, such as life flight helicopters or law enforcement aircraft, from being able to land due to them operating in the same airspace. Bouchard said that while many of the people doing this don’t have an ulterior motive, it’s important to ensure those using drones are educated on the rules and there are laws in place to address those operating with a nefarious purpose.