TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Police departments across Florida are shelving millions of dollars in aerial drones because of a new Gov. Ron DeSantis administration rule that takes effect Wednesday.
In its latest attempt to stamp out foreign influence in Florida, the DeSantis administration is forbidding government agencies — including police, firefighters and mosquito control districts — from using drones manufactured by China-based Da Jiang Innovations, or DJI, by far the most popular drones in the world.
Police and other agencies have purchased an estimated $200 million in DJI drones over the years, according to one lawmaker, but under the rule, they can only use drones made by a handful of “approved manufacturers,” most of which are based in the U.S. The rule prohibits buying drones from a company in a “foreign country of concern.”
