What neighbors describe as recurring late-night drone activity in a Pennsylvania community is prompting fear, especially when the devices hover near sensitive parts of the house.
According to WPVI, police say the reports are under investigation and that they are seeking help from federal authorities.
Here's what to know
In the Wallace area of West Brandywine Township, Pennsylvania, residents say drones have kept showing up over homes, the station said. The repeated sightings have raised privacy and safety worries, and some neighbors told police the aircraft have been seen near skylights as well as outside bedroom and bathroom windows.
Police in West Brandywine said officers have also witnessed the activity and are handling the case as a possible privacy-related matter, according to WPVI. The department said it has notified the Federal Aviation Administration and contacted the FBI for help.
An unnamed local resident said the activity is no longer a blip.
"The first one came in December," she recalled, per WPVI. "I was hoping it was random, and then I started seeing them more and more often."
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More background
Bradford Ryll, an aviation expert not involved in the case, noted to the station that operating a drone above a neighborhood is "not automatically illegal," because federal regulators control much of the airspace.
"It is possible that if there is some kind of surveillance activity happening, that might be a violation of Pennsylvania law," he added to WPVI.
For the unnamed resident, there's little ambiguity over what's happening.
"If there was someone with a 20-foot ladder up to your windows looking in, would you be defending them?" she asked the station. "It's a peeping Tom; that's 100 percent what it is."
She also told WPVI that she has tried to shield her home by putting in cameras and an alarm system, hanging drapes and blinds, and covering skylights to protect her privacy.
What's being done?
Police say the inquiry remains active and are urging residents to report additional sightings. In a statement provided to the station, the department said officers are taking the matter seriously.
"The use of a drone to invade someone's personal privacy will not be tolerated, and the maximum allowable penalties will be pursued," they wrote.
Jeff Kimes, chief of police and township fire marshal with the West Brandywine Police Department, asserted "residents deserve to feel safe and secure in their own homes," per WPVI.
As the investigation continues and the police seek support from federal agencies, neighbors say they are still waiting for answers.
"With four kids, the concern is there and very real as to why this person is hovering over our neighborhood," resident Shannon Kaschak said, per WPVI.
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