MELBOURNE, Fla. — Law enforcement officials in Florida say they are having to make some expensive changes after the state banned the use of certain drones by government agencies.

They are now replacing drones manufactured in "foreign countries of concern" — which includes popular brands from China — with approved ones, but departments say they come at a much higher cost.

Officials with the Melbourne Police Department say drones made by state-approved companies can be 10 times more expensive.

To afford them, department leaders say they have had to find creative ways to manage MPD's budget.

Currently, the department only has one approved drone, but under Florida law, department officials said it cannot be used for surveillance.

However, they said it assists officers in various tasks such as locating suspects, finding missing people, and dealing with SWAT calls and hostage situations.

The current drone used by MPD was made by a American drone manufacturer that is approved by the state, and cost the department more than $20,000, including pilot training expenses.

Previously, they had a Chinese-made DJI drone that cost about $2,000.

"We had to sideline that drone," said Detective Heath Sanders, who is a certified drone pilot.

Despite being cheaper, they had to switch to an American-made drone due to the ban.

"We had no choice, we had to change over to an American-made product," Sanders said.

Officials say the new drone does offer additional features, which make it more expensive but also more effective in fighting crime.

"It allows the command staff and other units to see things you can't see on the ground," veteran drone pilot Ron Streiff said.

Some police departments in Florida are hoping for an extension that would give them until 2026 to transition from their old drones to the newly approved.