Lawmakers push to let FL police, fire use Chinese drones again; cops say approved ones are junk

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LOCAL NEWS​

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Christina Vazquez, Reporter
Published: April 11, 2023, 6:43 PM
Updated: April 11, 2023, 7:53 PM
Tags: Miami, Miami-Dade County, Florida, Politics

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Lawmakers push to let FL police, fire use Chinese drones again; cops say approved ones are junk

Approved drones literally falling from sky, one agency says​

MIAMI – There’s a bipartisan push in the Florida Legislature to return Chinese-made drones back into service for the state’s first responders after a ban took effect earlier this month.

The ban took countless drones used by and for government agencies out of the sky, mainly
affecting those made by the world’s most popular drone company, DJI.

Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration cited national security concerns in making the move. It had the consequence of grounding hundreds of drones statewide.

But representatives from local law enforcement agencies told lawmakers in a March hearing that drones made by state-approved manufacturers leave a lot to be desired.

“One of our pilots, on his drive home, he heard ‘snap, crackle, pop,’ one of the batteries outside the drone, not plugged in, on the floorboard of his vehicle, caught on fire,” a representative from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said.

A representative from the Collier County Sheriff’s Office said the approved drones have “limited capabilities,” cannot fly at night and their cameras are “not safe” to use.

Meanwhile, a representative from the Orlando Police Department called the approved drones a hazard.

“In one year and a half we had five failures with manufacturers on the (state approved) list. DJI? None,” the representative said. “That is going to put us in danger, the officers in danger, and the public in danger, when these drones continue to fall out of the sky.”

Sen. Jason Pizzo, D-North Miami Beach, did not mince words about the approved drones either, calling the technology “s---ty” during the hearing.

Pizzo supports a bill sponsored by Sen. Tom Wright, R-Port Orange, to allow the DJI drones back into service until agencies can find a way to replace them, giving them more time to find alternatives.

“I hope to hell that we don’t have anybody lose a life over this silly rule,” Wright said.

The head of Florida’s Department of Management Services., Pedro Allende, told lawmakers at that hearing that he had just learned of a trade-in program for the drones.

“You just held up a piece of paper that a manufacturer just handed you?” Pizzo asked Allende. “You’re pimping for a vendor right now. Shame on you.”

Wright also stated that a US manufacturer on the “approved” list had increased its price for a drone by thousands of dollars after Florida banned Chinese drones.

“Would you be surprised to know there are people in this audience that have seen a $7,000 per drone price increase on that particular brand since January 1?” Wright asked. “I have the quotes.”

more @ https://www.local10.com/news/local/...drones-again-cops-say-approved-ones-are-junk/


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