National UFO Reporting Center
| Founded | 1974 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Davenport, Washington |
Key people | Peter B. Davenport, Director |
| Website | National UFO Reporting Center |
The National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC) is an organization in the United States that investigates UFO sightings and/or alien contacts. NUFORC has been in continuous operation since 1974. It was founded in 1974 by Robert J. Gribble.[1] It has catalogued almost 90,000 reported UFO sightings over its history, most of which were in the United States.[2] In addition to record keeping, the center has provided statistics and graphs to assist others looking for information. Slate published an interactive graph published by Davenport, which showed the density of sightings relative to an area.[3]
The current director, Peter Davenport, has not claimed that any two phenomena are identical, but has catalogued flying saucers, coloured lights, and triangles, throughout the years.[4] Davenport describes himself as a UFO believer, but skeptic, and has been praised by James Oberg as providing a valuable service in the field.[5] The work has been described as 'secretarial' rather than 'fun', as the years have progressed.[5]
History
Since its establishment in 1974, the Center has provided a 24-hour hotline phone number for people to report UFO activity that is currently going on in their area.[6]
Peter Davenport, a businessman holding degrees from Stanford University and the University of Washington at Seattle, who became involved soon after hearing about the Kelly–Hopkinsville encounter,[4] has served as director of the organization since 1994.[6]
The organisation has been used by the Stamford police department in prior years, though events have always had a perfectly reasonable explanation.[7]
Police officers from Lebanon, Missouri, as well as various Arizona law enforcement officials, frequently refer UFO sightings to the organisation, with no explanations forthcoming for some instances.[8][9] Arizona relied on the organisation specifically, in response to the Phoenix Lights incident, which was one of the few sightings Davenport has been on record as proclaiming to be genuine.[10]
Operation
Since its establishment in 1974, the Center has provided a 24-hour hotline phone number for people to report UFO activity that is currently going on in their area.[6] As of 2005, the operation has been expanded using one fax machine, one telephone, and a single web master.[4] The organisation is almost entirely funded by Davenport himself, which is estimated to cost $500 a month.[4][5][11]
Until 2006, the Center was based in Seattle, Washington, but that year it relocated to a bunker in a former nuclear missile site about 50 miles west of Spokane, Washington.[5][12]
Publicity
The National UFO Reporting Center has been discussed on the radio show Coast To Coast AM [13] and on Jeff Rense's radio show .
In 2014, the Economist used the statistics compiled by the organisation to analyse 'peak times' for UFO reports, drawing the conclusion that most reports came during the hours during which people were most likely to be intoxicated.[2] MUFON, the most prominent UFO data collectors in the US, have also worked with the National UFO Reporting Centre, to publicise trends in public sightings reporting.[14]
References
- ↑ "The National UFO Reporting Center, Information/General (No page title at top)". Retrieved 4 February 2013.
- 1 2 "Everything you need to know about UFOs". The Economist. 28 June 2014. Retrieved 9 November 2014.
- ↑ Tchou, Angela (January 11, 2011). "I Saw Four Green Objects in a Formation". Slate Magazine. Archived from the original on September 15, 2012. Retrieved November 9, 2014.
- 1 2 3 4 "Researcher Feels Certain UFOs Exist". Associated Press Online. August 21, 2005.
- 1 2 3 4 Geranios, Nicholas K. (October 28, 2007). "UFO Reporting Center moves from Seattle to old missile site". The Associated Press State & Local Wire.
- 1 2 3 Tizon, Tomas Alex (28 March 2008). "Seeking UFOs, deep underground". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 9 November 2014.
- ↑ Landis, David (April 30, 1992). "CELESTIAL ARCHES". USA TODAY. pp. LIFE, 1D.
- ↑ Geller, Uri (January 24, 2000). "Lawmen encounter the space patrol". The Times (London, UK).
- ↑ Stevens, Officer Craig A. (January 5, 2000). "Police Report". Millstadt Police Department. Archived from the original on February 4, 2001. Retrieved November 9, 2014.
- ↑ Price, Richard (June 18, 1997). "Arizonans say the truth about UFO is out there". USA TODAY. pp. 4A.
- ↑ Conklin, Ellis E. (8 February 2011). "Peter Davenport Believes in UFOs". Seattle Weekly. Retrieved 9 November 2014.
- ↑ Geranios, Nicholas K. (28 October 2007). "UFO Reporting Center operates out of former missile site". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved 9 November 2014.
- ↑ Interview with Peter Davenport, Coast to Coast AM with George Noory.
- ↑ "American UFO Reports Down 36 Percent After 2012 Spike" (Blog). The Huffington Post. March 31, 2013.