New York Senator Charles Schumer (D) is asking federal officials to hurry up and set regulations for unmanned aerial vehicles.
“The use of small drones for commercial purposes have reached new heights,” Schumer said, according to the New York Post. “Some might even say that New York City is the Wild West of drones. There are a whole lot of them that are unregulated.”
According to WCBS radio, Schumer said drones are also being used for illegal activity.
“This year, a drone was caught flying into a maximum security prison in South Carolina carrying marijuana,” Schumer told reporters, including WCBS 880’s Ginny Kosola and 1010 WINS’ Glenn Schuck.
The senator said drones have gained in popularity since a court case limited the federal government’s ability to regulate their use.
Schumer said the FAA and Commerce Department are supposed to come up with regulations by September 2015, but he said that’s not soon enough.
“Do we want it to be perfectly legal that someone can send a drone and peer into our living room or bedroom window?” Schumer said. “Don’t we want to make sure that drones don’t collide with commercial aircraft and helicopters?”