25 things to watch in 2025

WEEKLY REGISTER-CALL PAGE 9

WEEKLY REGISTER-CALLFebruary 27, 2025February 27, 2025

“He sent us a really won-

derful, comprehensive pro-

posal, asking us to fund these

drones,” recalled Miller. “He

asked for $13,000 to purchase

three drones and associated

equipment. It included money

for the ability to train officers

who needed to be trained for

these drones. The sheriff came

to our auxiliary meeting on

Jan. 28 and made this wonder-

ful proposal to us. Sheriff Arm-

strong told us how he would

use [the drones] and made it

very clear they wouldn’t be

used for surveillance. They

would be used for investiga-

tions into burglaries, SWAT

call-outs, active shooter situa-

tions, and critical incidents like

the one that happened at the

school two years ago. He did a

really good job telling us why

“Sheriff Armstrong said

he wanted to have the same

drones as what they use in

Clear Creek, which has been

very successful. Gilpin County

has learned from Clear Creek

what works and doesn’t work.

He also pointed out sev-

eral situations where a drone

[here] would have been very

helpful for them,” she added.

“We, the membership of

High Country Auxiliary,

decided we wanted to sup-

port them,” added Miller.

“We voted to fully fund the

$13,000 that they needed.

We were really excited about

helping to support that.”

In addition to the an-

nual pancake breakfast, High

Country Auxiliary sponsors

chili sales events, a yearly

flea market in the barn next

to Gilpin Community Center,

and other fund-raisers to ben-

efit local emergency-response

organizations. The pancake

breakfast is scheduled for

July 13 at the Gilpin County

Fair, while the flea market is

planned for Sept. 3-6.

High County Auxiliary also

shows up in emergencies. It

helps provide food and bever-

ages for the fire department,

ambulance and law-enforce-

ment officers who are on the

scene working to resolve a situ-

ation. “One of the big things we

do is emergency response. We

have a group of volunteers who

coordinate with the casinos,

JKQ barbecue, and BNC [Black

Hawk Bean and Cream]. They

bring up meals to the firefight-

ers and the sheriff’s depart-

ment. If they’re going to be on

a scene for many hours, we’ll

coordinate meals and bring it

In addition to Miller, the

HCA’s board of directors

includes Michelle Sullivan,

vice president; Nancy Lar-

son, treasurer; Clare Stone,

secretary; and Eddie Miller,

member at large.

“We’re always looking for

volunteers,” said Miller of

the HCA, which has about 35

members, including 25 ladies

and men who are very active.

The group’s next meeting will

be at 6 p.m. on March 25 at

Timberline Station No. 3 (the

former Fritz Peak Observa-

tory) on Highway 119.

Miller said anyone interest-

ed in joining or for additional

information visit highcoun-

tryauxiliary.com or email

HCA80422@gmail.com.

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Auxiliary helps GCSO start drone program Gilpin County will enter Age of Drones in 2025 (Hooray!)

Remember when you got rid of your eight-

track music cartridges and moved to music CDs?

Or when you traded in that old Nokia flip phone

for an iPhone that could send texts, take pictures,

or use the apps you’d downloaded?

The Gilpin County Sheriff’s Office will be mak-

ing a similar transition later this year when it be-

gins deploying drones with its patrol division. No

longer will the dedicated Gilpin officers be living

in the era of the Flintstones – they’ll be moving up

to be part of the Jetsons’ generation.

Gilpin County, welcome to the Age of Drones!

For those who have concerns about drones

flying around the county, I don’t believe there

are sufficient reasons for the conspiratorial

types to start exclaiming, “They’re going to use

those drones to spy on me!” It simply isn’t true,

according to Gilpin County Sheriff Kevin Arm-

strong, who plans to use its forthcoming drones

to protect the public and the officers who find

themselves in unusual circumstances. He is aware of

the Fourth Amendment to the United States Con-

stitution, which protects people from unreasonable

searches and seizures by the government.

Another item worth mentioning: the drones arriv-

ing later this year at the sheriff’s office aren’t some-

thing you’d watch in a James Bond movie. While

they are sophisticated, high-tech devices, they don’t

have spy cameras capable of “zooming in” to watch

what someone is doing in the privacy of their homes.

(Personally, I wouldn’t want to use my drone’s cam-

era to peek in “Uncle Bill’s” window to observe him

watching football in his underwear…or see “Aunt

Betty” in her bathrobe with her hair up in curlers.)

Gilpin County plans to purchase three drones, in-

cluding two DJI-brand Avata 2 models and a Mavic

• The Avata 2 is a small, lightweight camera drone

you can launch from your hand. It has propeller

guards and is used to fly into buildings, where a

situation can be evaluated by officers outside who

are using a controller or goggles that enable the

officer-pilot the ability to safely “look around”

without potentially putting himself in harm’s way.

• The Mavic 3T Enterprise (there are several mod-

els) is a larger drone that can quickly be folded up

before or after use. They include several on-board

cameras. One can zoom in to provide a clear

assessment of a situation. The other camera is

equipped with infrared (considered “night vision”

by some), which can detect heat signatures from

warm-blooded animals and humans. If someone is

lost in Gilpin’s abundant forests, flying this drone

with the infrared can help officers find the person

faster than if searchers were trekking in all direc-

tions throughout the woods. This drone model

also has an optional searchlight and speaker, so it

can inform the lost person help is on the way – or

the spotlight can help show the missing person the

correct way to travel and reach rescuers.

My friends involved with Chaffee County’s Search

and Rescue team in Beuna Vista have told me many

stories about how they successfully used their

drones. The drones are often used to help inexperi-

enced hikers who’ve climbed into the nearby moun-

tains and run into problems because there’s no cell-

phone service, and they didn’t bring the appropriate

clothing or supplies for the trek – especially if snow

and cold arrive unexpectedly. I have drone friends in

Fort Collins who have been called to help find miss-

ing people who wandered away from memory-care

facilities or nursing homes.

Indeed, there are recreational drones and

many irresponsible people who fly them, such as

the knuckleheads who fly over stadiums at NFL

games or guys who think they’re being cool by

trying to fly near wildfires. Unfortunately, these

are the people we hear about on the news –many

of them being convicted and hit with huge fines.

Gilpin County will get serious drones for

serious purposes, such as helping to find camp-

ers or hikers who get lost in the forest or giving

officers a bird ’ s-eye view of a gunman threaten-

ing people or firing shots into the surrounding

area. The officers who fly them will be federally

licensed, meaning they’ll take flying seriously

and responsibly.

If you’ve been a reader of this column dur-

ing the past five years, I’ve reported the nearly

countless ways drones have proven to be an

extremely valuable tool for those involved in law

enforcement, firefighting, Search & Rescue and

other situations. I’ve talked with countless dozens

of drone pilots from across the state who use drones

for the better good. Drones aren’t the miracle cure-

all for every situation, but they are a proven, suc-

cessful tool in many parts of the nation.

My personal, first-hand experience as a drone

columnist has led me to step inside mobile police

vans that are used whenever a drone is called for

service. When a drone is launched skyward for a

mission, those inside the special vans can see what

the device’s camera is seeing live on a large TV

monitor. Those involved use radios to communicate

with other officers or first responders, giving them

valuable assistance on what to look for during that

situation. One of the sheriff’s patrol vehicles will

be equipped with a 42” TV, enabling officers at the

scene to assess what’s happening and develop the

appropriate actions to take.

I understand drones can’t be a solve-all or end-

all for every situation. However, I’m delighted

that Gilpin County will finally “catch up” with

agencies in neighboring jurisdictions that have

been using drones for years. It’s time for a new

era to begin.

Again, Gilpin County. Welcome to the Age of

Drones – you deserve it!

Missing person? Venezuelan gang? A drone can help

Kevin Armstrong received coun-

ty approval to launch a drone

program last week, he laid out

several “real life” situations

to the county commissioners

where drones were invaluable

assets – or could have been – to

police departments locally and

in other states.

Here are a few examples:

• Officers from Gilpin and

Clear Creek Counties jointly

train as part of a local SWAT

team. In October, mem-

bers of the Tren de Aragua

Venezuelan gang rented

an Airbnb in Clear Creek

County. They had a large

party – estimated between

80 and 100 people – during

which a shooting occurred,

and the house was trashed.

Clear Creek used its drone

to help locate the suspects.

Noted Armstrong, “Gilpin

County is not immune to

any of that. That happened

right next door, in our own

• The sheriff also discussed

the Gilpin School swatting

incident on Feb. 23, 2023.

A caller said he was at the

school, where he planned

to go inside and kill many

people. Although the threat

proved false, several agen-

cies rushed to the school

to investigate the danger

– one of dozens reported

nationwide that day. If his

department had drones,

including smaller ones that

can navigate through halls

and classrooms, it could’ve

helped clear the way for

officers who went inside to

investigate the scene.

the sheriff.

designed for that – to help us

if there was an active shooter

• Last summer, the sheriff’s

department received a call

about a man shooting a

firearm from a third-floor

balcony at the Gold Moun-

tain Village in Central City.

When officers arrived, the

suspect had a tactical advan-

tage because of his location.

Police were required to move

through the hallways, where

they potentially could have

been shot. Having drones in

the sky to watch the suspect

on the balcony and to move

in through hallways in ad-

vance of officers could have

helped police safety during

the situation.

• An 11-year-old girl with

autism wandered away

from her family at the Cold

Springs Campground last

summer. The family called

the sheriff’s office after

looking unsuccessfully for

90 minutes. Deputies were

sent blindly into the woods

and climbed steep hills to

try to find her, which they

eventually did. According

to the sheriff, if the officers

a thermal camera – which

detects the heat of a human

body – the search and rescue

operation would have taken

significantly less time and

required fewer resources. “A

drone would’ve been helpful,

although we did end up find-

• Several months ago, a

resident’s camera showed

three individuals were seen

walking through Dory Lakes,

including one who had a

gun. A short while later, a

car was reported stolen from

the neighborhood. While

Armstrong said he didn’t

know if the strangers and the

stolen car were connected,

he noted, “If we had a drone

with infrared technology, we

could’ve seen those indi-

viduals and what was in their

hands. That could be impor-

tant for officer safety and

community safety, as well.”

• Armstrong reported that

in Wisconsin recently, a

despondent female, who was

intoxicated, wandered from

her house into the woods. It

was freezing weather, and

she couldn’t be seen walk-

ing around. Police put up

a drone with an infrared

camera, found her, and

saved her life. “That’s

the type of situation

respond to, as well,” the

sheriff commented. “We

receive reports of suspi-

cious people or incidents all

the time. We’re moving in

the right direction – this is

what the community needs.

It adds an extra layer of

safety for our community

and for our deputies in the

field. It can help us find lost

people and in a number of

areas that will better support

both our community and our

• Black Hawk Police Depart-

ment sent their FAA Part

107-certified pilot and drone

the home, several outbuild-

ings and seven vehicles.

The drone allowed deputies

from patrol and SWAT to

approach as the drone op-

erators communicated with

Incident Command.

• Last summer, deputies

responded to a call regarding

an unstable individual camp-

ing illegally in the Aspen

Meadows Campground.

Numerous families camping

there contacted the police

due to the man’s erratic

behavior. Deputies hiked

through the nearby forest for

over an hour, ultimately lo-

cating and apprehending the

suspect, who had a warrant

for a weapons violation.

(See related stories and the

“Age of Drones” column in

Sheriff’s office to launch high-tech drone

program this year, not to spy on people

In the months ahead, the

Gilpin County Sheriff’s Office

will be adding flying, high-

tech tools to help serve and

protect residents and depu-

ties.

Those new tools, formally

called small Unmanned

Aerial Systems (sUAS)

but frequently nicknamed

drones, will assist the coun-

ty’s law-enforcement pro-

gram. However, according

to Sheriff Kevin Armstrong,

they won’t be used to “spy”

on people.

For the past few years,

Armstrong has sought ap-

proval from Gilpin County

to purchase drones for his

department. However, the

request has typically been cut

during the county’s budget

discussions. After receiving

another rejection late last

year, the sheriff asked the

High County Auxiliary orga-

nization if it would consider

funding a drone program.

HCA agreed. (See related story

in today’ s edition.)

Last week, Armstrong

persuaded the Gilpin Board

of County Commission-

ers (BoCC) to accept HCA’s

$13,000 donation to initi-

ate the drone program and

received the commissioners’

blessings to have several dep-

uties trained to fly the aerial

devices. The deputies will take

classes before testing for the

Federal Aviation Administra-

tion Part 107 certificate, which

is required for people who fly

drones for non-recreational

purposes.

Neighboring Boulder, Clear

Creek, Jefferson and Denver

Counties have drone pro-

grams to assist police, fire and

other first responders in their

duties. “Drone programs are

becoming a natural and stan-

dard practice in law enforce-

ment,” Armstrong told the

BoCC during their workshop

session last week.

Commissioner Jeff Aiken

endorsed bringing drones to

Gilpin’s law-enforcement pro-

gram. “If the cost involved can

save a life or a deputy’s life,

I’d like to see that happen,” he

said.

Sandy Hollingsworth, BoCC

chair, said she’s watched vid-

eos showing how places, in-

cluding Arapahoe County, use

drones frequently. “They’ve

found [drones] to be a tool

to get them further faster,”

she commented, noting some

understaffed police depart-

ments deploy drones regularly

to improve public safety.

Hollingsworth questioned

the forthcoming use of drones

and whether police will use

them as surveillance – which

could make some residents

uncomfortable. “As you

know, many people live

up here because they

commissioners, saying,

“We are working on a

policy that will address

cerns about privacy as

we move forward with

this. We will talk about

what can and can’t be

done to protect citizens’

“For every call, we will

not use a drone. Our

first response is going

to be with a person. If

circumstances change,

we would need to deter-

mine what the facts or

circumstances may be. Then,

we would decide if the use of a

drone would be beneficial for

the safety of the officers or the

individuals involved. We will

have that resource available if

The sheriff told the Weekly

Register-Call he was pleased

with the BoCC’s decision to

green-light the drone pro-

gram. “We’re moving in the

right direction—this is what

the community needs. It adds

an extra layer of safety for our

community and for our depu-

ties in the field. It can help

us find lost people and in a

number of other ways that will

better support both our com-

munity and our deputies.”

After the sheriff’s depart-

ment receives its drones

and officers are certified to

fly them, Armstrong said he

plans to explain the forthcom-

ing program to residents and

assure them the sUASs will be

used to protect and serve resi-

dents and first responders.

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Senior night at the Gilpin County High School basketball game—Feb. 21

counts!

the ball?

the pass.

The Gilpin Eagles soared

to a resounding victory

against Dawson Feb. 21.

Gilpin school activities

Girls’ basketball—The Lady Eagles

reeled off their eighth consecutive win last

Friday (Feb. 21), defeating visiting Dawson

School 61-18 and winning at Front Range

Christian 56-27 on Feb. 18.

The win improved Gilpin’s record to 16-4,

including 11-1 (second place) in the Class

3A/2A/1A Mile High League.

Thursday, Feb. 27—High school boys’

basketball will play at Union Colony Prep

in Greeley, 6 p.m. Details TBA. The girls’

team will host Dayspring Christian at 6 p.m.

Students who participate in the Gifted and

Talented program will take a trip to the Uni-

versity of Colorado for an event.

Saturday, March 1—High school girls’

basketball at Bishop Machebeuf at 5:30 p.m.

High school boys’ basketball will play Den-

ver Academy at Skyview Academy, 9 a.m.

Monday, March 3—Mile High League

basketball coaches’ online post-season meet-

ing, 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday, March 5—Middle school

wrestling hosts Clear Creek and Fitzsim-

mons, 5 p.m.

Friday, March 7 and Saturday,

March 8—High school regional girls’ bas-

ketball tournament. Site and times TBA.

Tuesday, March 11—Middle school soc-

cer at Flatirons Academy, 4 p.m.

Wednesday, March 12—High school

soccer at St. Mary’s Academy, 4:30 p.m.

Thursday through Saturday, March

13-15—CHSAA basketball championships at

Colorado State University. Times and teams

TBA.

Friday, March 14—High school track

at Weld Central Early Season Invitational.

Time TBA.

NOTE—Schedules are tentative and may

change due to a variety of factors, including

weather.

games.

25 things to watch in 2025

Patrick Henry Sweeney

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