New driving regulations, others laws began Jan. 1

PAGE 11 WEEKLY REGISTER-CALLJune 5, 2025

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Located in Mid Gilpin County

Tariﬀs stalling takeoﬀ of GCSO drone program

Another roadblock has stalled the Gilpin County

Sheriff’s Office from launching its long-awaited drone

program.

Sheriff Kevin Armstrong has pursued adding

drones to the department’s patrol division for several

years. These drones are intended to help protect the

public and law enforcement officers in key circum-

stances, such as conducting search-and-rescue efforts

in the mountains, assessing potentially dangerous

situations, photographing traffic accident scenes, and

serving dozens of other purposes. Gilpin hoped to

deploy these high-tech drones this summer as part

of its operations, similar to what thousands of police

and sheriff departments nationwide have been imple-

menting for years.

When the county leadership refused to pro-

vide the sheriff’s office with funds to purchase

new drones in 2024, Gilpin County’s High

Country Auxiliary (HCA) stepped in and of-

fered to pay for the new high-flying tech mar-

vels – considered a “must have” high-tech tool

by first responders throughout the county. The

HCA decided to write a check for approximately

$13,000 to help Armstrong launch the drone

program he believes his department – and the

citizens of Gilpin – urgently need.

Armstrong wanted several DJI-branded

drones for his patrol division, including a larger

enterprise model equipped with an infrared,

heat-detecting lens and a separate high-powered

zoom lens to assist deputies in assessing various

situations they encounter. He also desired two

smaller DJI drones capable of flying indoors,

providing officers with an advance look inside a

home, apartment building, or business—espe-

cially if they had been informed that someone

with a firearm might be lurking inside.

As it turns out, 2025 has been a terrible year for

anyone who wants to purchase new DJI drones,

which are manufactured in China. The company’s

drones, which hold more than 80 percent of the global

marketplace, are considered superior models priced

much lower than those other companies sell, regardless

of where they’re made.

President Donald J. Trump has added, reduced and

changed his mind regarding tariffs on Chinese-made

products, while another federal restriction has nearly

shut off shipments of DJI drones into seaports.

“We’re running into issues with tariffs and stuff like

that from China,” said Armstrong. “With the drones

we were trying to get, the prices have increased con-

siderably. So, we are trying to navigate that and see

what we can do. It’s still [a project] in process.”

Ryan Carter, who sells public-safety drones at Den-

ver’s Multicopter Warehouse, said, “The main issues

around DJI are due to various reasons. Customs has

withheld certain DJI drone shipments from arriving,

citing the UFLPA. [The Uyghur Forced Labor Preven-

tion Act is a U.S. federal law prohibiting importing

goods made with forced labor in the Xinjiang Uyghur

Autonomous Region of China.] DJI has denied these

allegations, asserting that none of its products are

manufactured in Xinjiang and that it complies with

U.S. labor laws. The company is actively providing

documentation to CBP to resolve the matter.” Until

the embargo is lifted, there’s a shortage of many DJI

models.

The other critical issue is the ongoing tariff situa-

tion. said Carter, “The tariffs are impacting the price

of drones pretty significantly. At the beginning of

April, when the additional tariffs were added, prices

changed daily. At this point, DJI has completely

restructured its pricing, raising everything by a sub-

stantial amount. For example, the new Matrice 4T

was released in January 2025 at an initial price point

of $7,599. Today the price is $12,958. The same is

true with the DJI Matrice 4E, which started at $4,799

and is now upwards of $8,448.”

Due to the customs and tariffs, the sheriff’s office

doesn’t have enough funds to purchase the drones

it wanted. “We’re faced with the same issues and

problems that everyone else is – supply and tariffs,”

the sheriff noted. It remains unclear whether the

GCSO will attempt to buy a pre-owned or refurbished

DJI drone or investigate if it can opt for less-capable

drones from a different manufacturer.

The DJI drone situation is negatively affecting other

industries as well. Companies that rely on drones daily

for utility-line inspections, construction, mapping,

mining, and agriculture are unable to acquire the new

DJI drones necessary for their operations. More than

1,400 U.S. law enforcement and public safety depart-

ments utilize DJI drones in their work.

Fortunately, the City of Black Hawk purchased

drones for its police and fire departments before

the tariff situation and the current drone short-

age reached a critical stage. The police bought a

DJI drone last year. When the fire department

sought to buy a DJI drone last month, none were

available. However, it managed to locate a com-

parable Autel model, thereby sidestepping the

issues with embargoes and higher tariffs.

If a fire breaks out or someone gets lost while

hiking in the forest this year, it’s possible that

Black Hawk could deploy one of its drones as a

gesture of goodwill to assist the Gilpin sheriff’s

office, assuming a pilot is on duty when the call

comes in. While drones may not be the solution for

every emergency, they can be an extremely valu-

able tool for providing assistance or potentially

saving someone’s life. (In the meantime, I’m wish-

ing and hoping that those supporting the concept

of Gilpin’s new drone program can find a solution

sooner rather than later. After all, there is indis-

putable proof that drones can help save lives.)

If you’ve been watching Excel Energy’s TV

commercials, they’ve been informing customers

about their use of drones to inspect power lines. Excel

and United Power, which also service parts of Gilpin

County, utilize drones to identify areas where tree

branches are close to power lines, thereby creating

potential risks if a wildfire occurs.

The end of an era has arrived for DJI’s Phantom

drone series, which began in 2013. The iconic white

drone with four propellers (featured as the standard

logo for this column) quickly became the poster child

for drones and gained recognition among the public.

When someone saw a Phantom 4, they immediately

understood what a drone was.

Last month, DJI announced that it would no longer

service or sell parts for the Phantom 4 as of June 1,

for its last two models produced in 2019. Moving for-

ward, the Phantom 4 will be considered the ’57 Chevy

of the drone world, a beautiful, classic model that’s

likely to attract collectors for years to come.

Excel Energy uses drones to inspect its power lines.

Gilpin County CSU Extension Master

Gardeners (MGs) are hosting their annual

plant sale on Saturday, June 14, at 10 a.m.

in the Gilpin County Exhibit Barn Indoor

Arena. Residents can purchase mountain

hardy, native plants, trees and shrubs in

support of the Master Gardener Program

at CSU Extension. This year’s plant selec-

tion includes: ice plant, bergamot, cone-

flower, columbine, blanket flower, Drag-

on’s Blood sedum, Mexican hat, black-eyed

Susan, sticky geranium, seaberry, Rocky

Mountain maple, chokecherry, serviceberry, Nanking

cherry, clematis, fleabane, golden currant, chokecher-

ry, and penstemon. Interested residents should plan

to arrive early as quantities are limited. Cash or check

only. Credit cards are not accepted.

Sheriff’s public roundtable

Gilpin County Sheriff Kevin Armstrong and his staff

will host a community roundtable from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

on Wednesday, June 18, in the multi-purpose room at

the Gilpin Community Center.

Armstrong said he welcomes continued productive

community dialogue at the meeting. He will introduce

Steven Mingura, the recently appointed county Emer-

gency Manager, as part of the session.

Several dozen volunteers participated in the an-

nual Central City clean-up activity last Thursday. The

spread out across the town and picked up litter, trash

and debris. They were treated to Yo’Hans Donuts

before hitting the streets and were provided a post-

cleanup lunch at Dostal Alley.

Ready for fishing?

The annual free “Family Fun Fishing Day” is planned

for Sunday, June 22, from 1 to 3 p.m. at William C.

Russell Park in Central City.

New driving regulations, others laws began Jan. 1

Patrick Henry Sweeney

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New driving regulations, others laws began Jan. 1

PAGE 11 WEEKLY REGISTER-CALLJune 5, 2025

We print stu!!

Fast and competitive

Located in Mid Gilpin County

Tariﬀs stalling takeoﬀ of GCSO drone program

Another roadblock has stalled the Gilpin County

Sheriff’s Office from launching its long-awaited drone

Sheriff Kevin Armstrong has pursued adding

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