Drone swarms (Somerset County Sheriff)

Dear Requestor,

Thank you for submitting a request for records on Tuesday, December 17, 2024.
Your request reference number is Request Number: PRR-2024-1251 and your security key is AB33DE4D.
Please have both reference numbers available when communicating with our staff regarding your request.
If you need to make any changes to your request, please send an email referencing your request number to opra@co.somerset.nj.us

Thank you,
Kelly Mager - Custodian of Records
20 Grove Street
PO Box 3000
Somerville, NJ 08876
(908) 231 - 7030
OPRA@co.somerset.nj.us

Dear Matthew Petti,

The County of Somerset (“County”) records custodian received your Open Public Records Act (“OPRA”) request on 12/17/2024 at 12:00:00 am. The seven (7) business day deadline to respond to your request is 12/27/2024 at 3:47:13 pm. As such, the County is timely responding to your request in accordance with New Jersey law.

Your OPRA request seeks the following records:

To Whom It May Concern: Pursuant to the New Jersey Open Public Records Act, I hereby request the following records: All police Advisories, Suspicious Activity Reports, Tips, Intelligence Briefs, Intel Reports, Leads Information or Data, Maps, Bulletins, BOLOs, and/or Joint Bulletins from 10 November 2024 to 10 December 2024 (inclusive) regarding the sightings of drones or drone swarms in New Jersey. The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes. In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not. Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 7 business days, as the statute requires. Sincerely, Matthew Petti

OPRA allows the records custodian to seek extensions of time pursuant to N.J.S.A. 47:1A-5i. Due to the holiday and the number of requests received for this information, the County anticipates requiring an additional three weeks (until January 21, 2025) to compile, review, and produce the potentially responsive records in accordance with New Jersey law. The County also reserves the right to request an additional extension of time, if necessary. See Scheeler v. New Jersey Department of Educ., GRC Complaint No. 2014-123 (2016).

Thank you for your anticipated cooperation.

Very truly yours,

Kelly Mager - Custodian of Records
20 Grove Street
PO Box 3000
Somerville, New Jersey 08876
(908) 231 - 7030
OPRA@co.somerset.nj.us

Dear Matthew Petti,

Please note that any potentially responsive materials pertaining to drone sightings are exempt from public access pursuant to N.J.S.A. 47:1A-3(a). The drone sightings are the subject of investigations being conducted by various agencies, and disclosure of same would be inimical to the public interest at this juncture. As such, the Somerset County is legally precluded from releasing any potentially responsive materials pursuant to N.J.S.A. 47:1A-3(a).

Your Open Public Records request has thus been processed in accordance with N.J.S.A. 47:1A:1 and is now closed.

Kelly Mager - Custodian of Records
20 Grove Street
PO Box 3000
Somerville, New Jersey 08876
(908) 231 - 7030
OPRA@co.somerset.nj.us