What flashlights are police carrying these days?

[shane072002]

We issue Streamlight Protac HLX5 as primary, Surefire G2Z Combat for belt carry, Surefire Scouts for rifles and Surefire X300U for pistols. Officers have the options to buy whatever they want out of their pockets as far as handhelds go but are required to used issued WMLs. Eventually I want to replace the G2Zs and Scouts with the Surefire 18650 battery comparable models since that is what we issue for the HLX5s.

 

[jz6342]

Whatever they can afford!

This is the most true statement yet, both for individuals and departments. Budgets are reality and dollars are few and hard to come by.

 

[Fuzzywuzzies]

This is the most true statement yet, both for individuals and departments. Budgets are reality and dollars are few and hard to come by.

Yep. I have a mate in the force. Got him an Elzetta Bones so he could throw away the $2 toy they'd issued him and actually do his job! He says it really cuts the night.
Makes his workmates jealous.

 

[Monocrom]

This is the most true statement yet, both for individuals and departments. Budgets are reality and dollars are few and hard to come by.

Not just what they can afford, but the cheapest option that also conforms to the sometimes large list of requirements departments insist on.

Otherwise you'd have cheapskate "geniuses" showing up for shifts with a Ray-O-Vac single-AAA penlight for $2.99 at Wal-Mart. Seriously, when I worked over at Marymount Manhattan college about 12 years ago, the place was so idiotically mismanaged.... We had four guys in charge of Security. All former NYPD. Two detectives, one was a Sergeant, one was a Lieutenant. All quit when they realized the college had an opening and was willing to pay them a ton of money they didn't deserve just due to their now former status.

These guys did two things: Sat around doing nothing, or intimidated former students who needed help. The latter happened more than once. Kid graduated. Became Homeless the very next day. Kept coming back to the dorms looking to crash or for handouts. Dean of the school found out. Told the security staff there to get the kid's phone number and any other contact info. Being part of dorm security, I initially thought how wonderful it was they were reaching out to this former student. Nope! Once they got what they needed, Dean had the former NYPD members contact the kid and threaten him if he kept coming back to the dorms. One guess who bragged about doing so to the rest of the security staff. And, that's just one example. I've got a lot more.

At the very least you'd think these 3 thugs and 1 decent human-being who used to be NYPD would at least do the basics. Such as uniform checks, and checking that everyone who worked the nightshift had proper flashlights. Again, NOPE! No requirements in place. Individual security members either had nothing at all, or that specific Ray-O-Vac model mentioned above. I was literally the only one with a proper flashlight.

EDIT: Clarification.

 

[dano]

My Dept has no written light policy, but does require a light be issued, so it's up to Galls to get what they can, which is, currently, a Pelican 7600 (?). Personally owned: Olight has become popular, with Fenix and Stream light. No one really carries a full size, any more. I still have a full size SL SL20, modded to use sub-c cells and a Malkoff drop in.

 

[swampgator]

My old PD used to issue Mag chargers.
A lawsuit or two and a couple of administrations later and most of the officers are carrying Streamlights Stingers. Or something of similar size that can be easily belt carried.

Which I see as advantageous.
You can always have a light on you as opposed to the days when a Magcharger dangled from your bed and you only took it out of the car if you needed it.

 

[rwolfenstein]

Pro-tip; Cops get issued what ever is cheapest and favorable to the equipment buyers. Some small agencies buy what ever other agencies issue or get on a purchase order to cut cost. It doesn't mean its the best. A lot of cops will turn around and buy what ever they want or suits them. I have seen folks get Nite-Cores and sometimes Olights.

 

[Monocrom]

Pro-tip; Cops get issued what ever is cheapest and favorable to the equipment buyers. Some small agencies buy what ever other agencies issue or get on a purchase order to cut cost. It doesn't mean its the best. A lot of cops will turn around and buy what ever they want or suits them. I have seen folks get Nite-Cores and sometimes Olights.

Understandable.... Buy the cheapest option that conforms to P.D. regulations. Also done by individual officers who are technically issued their gear/equipment, but have to pay for it themselves out of their own pockets. Usually going that route, you do get some quality built into the light. Not the best, but gets the job done every shift. The good enough option.

 

[rwolfenstein]

Understandable.... Buy the cheapest option that conforms to P.D. regulations. Also done by individual officers who are technically issued their gear/equipment, but have to pay for it themselves out of their own pockets. Usually going that route, you do get some quality built into the light. Not the best, but gets the job done every shift. The good enough option.

As an example, there was a department in the Eastern part of the state that bought pelican multi-fuel handheld lights because its the same thing they bought for the state troopers. Ironically, they threw away the spacers that would allow you to use the other fuel types like AAs or rechargeable 18650s with a spacer. They opted for CR123s and if you lost the handheld light they would crack a box open and hand out another. Not the best use of tax dollars but that's the woes of government.