In the latest salvo against foreign influence in Florida, the administration of Gov. Ron DeSantis banned government agencies from using unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, that were made in China.
The new rule, which took effect last week, forbids government agencies, including police and fire departments, from using drones made by Da Jiang Innovations (DJI), which is based in China and is among the world's most popular drone manufacturers.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, law enforcement agencies are frustrated by the grounding of millions of dollars of drone equipment.
The Broward County Sheriff's Office had to pull more than 60 of its Chinese-made drones from service, a spokesperson told NewsNation. The prohibited equipment reportedly cost more than $250,000.
Capt. Luis Valeriano, of the Miami Dade Fire Rescue Drone Program, told NewsNation that the 25 drones his program uses cost approximately $80,000.
"It has impacted us in a way where I believe that we've been pushed back five years now," Valeriano said. "We're starting over again."
First responders say DJI drones are among the best equipped in the industry to warn police of armed suspects, help pursue suspects, and identify missing persons.
"Drones are an integral part of our response," Collier County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Megan Kitchenoff told NewsNation.
The DeSantis administration claims that the drones are a security risk and points to the Department of Defense and the Department of the Interior banning them and other Chinese-made drones over the potential for espionage.
Government agencies in Florida will be permitted to use only drones made by a small number of "approved manufacturers," most of which are based in the United States. Some law enforcement officers told NewsNation that the approved replacements are more costly and less capable.
State Sen. Tom Wright, a Republican, said he was "sad to hear" that law enforcement has had to store its "drones in closets."
"I hope to hell we don't have anyone lose a life to this silly rule," Wright said. "I'm going to get these DJIs back up and flying if it's the last thing I do."
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