New Jersey drone flights temporarily restricted by FAA

The Federal Aviation Administration issued a temporary ban Wednesday on drone flights over parts of New Jersey.

The big picture: Reports of suspicious drones flying over states, including New Jersey, New York and Virginia, have raised public concern, though authorities have said there's no evidence of a specific threat.

Driving the news: The FAA said it issued 22 temporary flight restrictions at the request of federal security partners, prohibiting drone flights over critical New Jersey infrastructure.

• The restrictions are in place until at least Jan. 17 in the central and northern part of the state.
• Temporary flight restrictions are limits on aircraft operations due to temporary hazardous conditions, a security-related event or "other special situations, like VIP movement."

Between the lines: Violating the restrictions can carry jail time and fines. Given the intense public pressure, that gives law enforcement one more tool to prosecute potential violators.

More from Axios:

• Schumer requests "special drone-detection tech" for N.Y. and N.J.
• Drone debate rolls on following arrests
• What to know about New Jersey drone sightings