NEW CITY – Rockland County’s new law that will ban illegal use of drones will take effect in about a month and it couldn’t come any sooner for its author, Legislator Jay Hood Jr.
The idea came from Sheriff Louis Falco. Hood carried the ball to get the bill approved by the legislature as a preemptive move.
“It actually started with the sheriff coming to us then the public safety committee – I’m the chair of it – and the conversation took us into other avenues,” Hood said. “What about privacy? What about people being generally annoyed by these drones and we felt this was a better way to go, not to just include the jail, but any private property where you don’t have permission. You shouldn’t be over your neighbor’s property. If you want to fly over your own property or over a park where it is allowed, that is fine.”
County Executive Edwin Day returned the bill without a signature or veto, so the measure automatically became law.
Orange County may also be looking at drones. Undersheriff Kenneth Jones is expected to brief lawmakers.
