POLICE: How many lights do you carry on-duty?

My post in the Fenix T1 thread in the LED forum got me thinking about the lights I carry on duty. Here's a list:

1 - Mag charger - General duty light. Carried in a baton ring at about 8 o'clock on my belt. Used for traffic stops and general illumination

2 - Surefire G2 - Carried in left pants pocket. Has P60 module, will soon be replaced with DX R2 cree. Used as a back-up for the Mag charger and any time I need something smaller and more "tactical" than the big Mag

3 - Fenix T1 - Just ordered from Lighthound.com. Will be the primary Tactical light. Will be carried in a holster right next to the Mag charger. G2 will still be in left pocket as a back-up

4 - Key-chain LED - Carried above left pants pocket on my spare key ring. Used whenever I need just a little light, and don't want to light up the neighborhood with the Mag

5 - Streamlight Stylus UV - Ultraviolet stylus light carried in left shirt pocket. Used for checking IDs and for when I need a low-visibility light for writing in the car

That's a total of 5 lights on my person. Plus:

6 - Mag 3D with Mag Lite LED module - In the duty bag in the trunk. Used when I need a bright, but long-running light (like for directing traffic)

I didn't realize I carried so many lights with me until I stopped and broke it down . I'm kind of amazed that I have so many with me.

So, how many do you carry?

Do others in your department carry as many as you or do you think you're "light heavy" due to your flashaholic nature?

I'm probably light-heavy. I've never considered myself a flashaholic, though. I just kind of ended up with all of these.

I'm not sure what the other guys carry.

I know the chief carries a Stinger and what looks like a Scorpion on his belt (both Streamlight). Another guy has one of the Streamlight equivalents of a big Mag-light, and I'm not sure if he carries a back-up. Others, I'm not sure. The County boys pick up a Magcharger at the beginning of each shift. I wouldn't be surprised if many of them carried just that. Me, I can't stand having only one. What if the bulb pops at a really bad time?

Sabre said:

6 - Mag 3D with Mag Lite LED module - In the duty bag in the trunk. Used when I need a bright, but long-running light (like for directing traffic)



So, how many do you carry?

Click to expand...

Have you upgraded it with a ssc p4 yet? Huge boost.

It has varied over the years. During the day--none. Once the sun goes down--never less than 2. The 2 I carried last night were the Surefire X-300 gun light and the Nightcore Extreme. That's my typical combo.

To those, I could add any number of "specialty" lights or items from my pack--LED headlamp, First Light Liberator, Wolf Eyes Boxer, Surefire M6, Novatac 120T, green laser, night vision monocular, Maxabeam, Nighthunter II, Costco HID spotlight, aerial flares, red LED flashlights, thermal/IR camera, binoculars, Surefire shotgun foreend weaponlight.

Obviously, I can't carry all this stuff around with me, so I have to select a few that I might need.

Edit to add: Also carry a Taser with LED/laser and was recently issued a UV light.

Sabre said:

5 - Streamlight Stylus UV - Ultraviolet stylus light carried in left shirt pocket. Used for checking IDs and for when I need a low-visibility light for writing in the car

Click to expand...

Using a UV light at night for writing isn't good for your night vision or your eyes.

I'd consider switching to a dim white light for this. Red would be better for maintaining night vision, but makes reading a bit harder.

Otherwise nice choices.

Sverre

You're probably right about the UV. I rarely use it, actually. Most times I use the dome light in the car, which has been converted to red.

From a flashaholic working plainclothes...

On me:
- SF X300 on G17
- SF A2 on belt with Blue LED's for sneaking around
- Quiglite UV/White on armor for reading stuff
- Streamlight Keymate on keyring
- Photon 3 on keyring as backup backup

In GO bag:
- Issued Pelican 7060
- SF M2/Detonator/Malkoff M60 with 17500's
- Various lightsticks
- SF Weaponlight forend on 870 with Malkoff M60L

Various available in War bag depending on charge & mood:
- SF 10x
- Mag 3D with Malkoff Single Drop In
- Mag 4D with Malkoff Triple Drop-In

On my barely used Sam Browne I have a slim and spit-shined original SF leather holster and my original 20+yr old SF 6P with almost as old red filter for low profile use. It has been upgraded with a SF clicky and P60L LED to keep it all SF. The combination of old and new make me pretty happy!

Dennis.

I carry a Surefire M3 in a speed holster at about the 8 o'clock... a Surefire 6P LED in front of my pistol in a speed holster as a backup... and when I'm outta the car I tuck my Surefire M4 in my back pocket and try to use it as my main light...

On my belt a SF Z2 w a Malkoff M60
in my left cargo pocket a Inova T2 (2008 version)
right cargo pocket SF E2E w milkyspit modded KL1 with a K2 led

In my patrol bag
my Mag Charger 60 w charger
Pelican 7060 w charger
for traffic control duties Inova T5 (2008 version) w yellow traffic cone (using 17500's/CR123 rechargeable batteries)

On me:

• Gladius (P4) in a Blade-Tech belt pouch
• Lumapower MVP in my sap pocket
• red Photon 2 clipped to my uniform shirt pocket for low light navigation

On my weapons:

• SF X300 on my Glock 22
• SF 6P w/Malkoff M60 on my AR-15
• red Inova Microlight on my AR-15 for navigation
• SF 618 w/Malkoff M60 on my 14" Remington 870

In my car:

• department issued Streamlight Stinger-DS-LED
• green GloToob

Okay lets see here....

Right now on the duty belt I have the Insight Arcturus. In the past I have carried SF A2, Insight Typhoon and the G2L. Just depends on my mood for what is on the belt. ( Soon to have a G2ZL in OD enroute )

Right shirt pockt Streamlight Microstream, will probably switch that out for the Nightcore Defender or the EagleTac 10PA. Just haven't decided on what new toy I want to try first.

In the camelbak as a back up light I carry the Gen2 L1, used to carry the Gen1 L1 until I upgraded.

In the trique / duty bag I have the L2 as a back up also and depending on my mood I will have a 3D Maglite, Stinger LED or a SL Twintask 3C in there.

Shane

Plain clothes

Novatac 120P on belt
Milky Room Sweeper on belt
Fenix LOD Leatherman pouch on belt also has Photon Freedon attached.
Novatac 120 with an 18960 tube in mag pocket of 5.11 pants.
Will sometimes throw a random light in a cargo pocket like a NDI or D10, but have stopped the D10 as sometimes it would turn on in my pocket.

War Bag:

Microfire K2000R
E2D LED Defender
Dereelight DBS V2
PT EOS
Zebralight H50
Inova X5 UV

i carry 3

My newly bought pelican 7060 which i absolutly love
Streamlight strion which is used when im on day shift
and i always have my streamlight scorpion on me for backup

I carry one light on my belt, currently an Inova T3 ('08 edition). Works great indoors.

I also carry a Streamlight SL-20X with a home made bulb I potted (back when there was no such thing as CPF, so it's lasted a long time!). It's used on traffic stops, or outdoors, because LED's do not work well in ambient light, especially streetlights.

That's it...

My main duty light is a Wolf-Eyes Raider while I keep a TW4 with the VG1 body clipped to my belt as a back up. I also always have a Photon clipped to a belt keeper just for small tasks. At times I may also have my keys attatched to a keeper and if so then I also have a Fenix LOP attatched to those....I rarely work with my keys attatched to my person as I lost them once during a chase so usually they are in my bag.

In my duty bag I have a Peak First Responder as well as a Wolf-Eyes Sniper with the Q5 drop in. I also keep a rotation of other back up lights in my bag that varies often.

I normally have a RAW NS in each shirt pocket, a Streamlight Microstream in my right front pants pocket and a Surefire 6P with an R2 drop-in on my duty belt.

In may car I also have a Surefire E1E with a TLS led head and E2D tailcap, my issued Streamlight Stinger, a bag with a couple of Surefire G2Ls with R2 drop-ins, a couple of spares carriers full of RCR123A batteries and chargers for them. Sometimes I may throw a Magcharger or 2 in the car if I know we have something special going on that night.

I always have at least 2 lights on me at work. Many years ago, I was in a bad place searching for an armed man by myself when the bulb in my Magcharger went . That is not an experience I ever want to repeat. I had a Solitaire in my pocket then and I was able to withdraw and put a spare bulb in my Magcharger and then get back to the hunt.

LED's do not work well in ambient light, especially streetlights

Click to expand...

Why is that? Something to do with color, I imagine?

I carry a milky U2by2 as my main light, a 120T as backup, a first responder and an ex10 in the camelback, as well as a tiablo attached to my ar-15 an an ae powerlight in the truck.

Not many, just:

- Dorcy 41-1060 traffic wands (2). These are always in my duty bag for collision scene / traffic control;

- Dorcy 41-4299. It's first night of field-training is tonight;

- Kel Lite 4 D small head, with Welch Allyn 1331 Potted Incandescent bulb, original lens polished to frosted finish to remove scratches, 8 eneloop AA 2000 mAh 1.2 v NiMH rechargeable cells in a 8AA-to-2D adaptor and a 15 mm x 15 mm x 120 mm angle steel in a 35 mm od x 25 mm id x 110 mm l PVC tube spacer with 1 dot-sized Rare earth magnet to ensure proper contact between the adaptor and spacer, and a Bright Star Koehler Model 496 3 D Director-Lite smooth reflector filed down to fit but accidentally polished to frosted finish;

- LED Logic Striker VG, with 2 x 123A 3.0 v Li Primary cells. This is one of my two always-on-the-duty-belt lights, carried in a black nylon web flap-top holsters;

- Maglite 2 D, with Borofloat lens, TerraLux TLE-300M module, 2 Ultrafire LC 18650 2400 mAh 3.7 v protected unregulated Li-ion rechargeable cells in an adaptor made from 25 mm od x 19 mm id x 125 mm l PVC tube sleeved in a 35 mm od x 25 mm id x 125 mm l PVC tube with 1 dot-sized Rare earth magnet and 1 thin square piece of metal to ensure proper contact between the tail-cap spring and cells and a Bright-Star Koehler Model 496 3 D Director-Lite tail-cap spring that had its last 2 coils removed to accomodate the 18650 cells. I carry this on my belt at night in an OCS canister holster that has the top flap and bottom plug removed;

- Maglite 3 C, with Borofloat lens, Carley 809 Potted Incandescent bulb, 3 x 18500 1400 mAh 3.7 v protected unregulated Li-ion rechargeable cells in an adaptor made from a 25 mm od x 19 mm id x 150 mm l PVC tube with 2 dot-sized Rare earth magnets to ensure proper contact between the cells and HS Camless reflector;

- Pila GL3, with Wolf-Eyes 9 v Incandescent lamp assembly, 2 x 18500 1300 mAh 3.7 v protected unregulated Li-ion rechargeable cells and Wolf-Eyes 9T Raider True clicky tail-cap switch. This is my other always-on-the-duty-belt light, carried in a black nylon web flap-top holster;

- Wolf-Eyes M90 Rattlesnake, with 4 x 123A 3.0 v Li Primary cells and true clicky tail-cap switch.

I carry all of the other lights, and their charger systems, in an aluminum case in the trunk of my patrol vehicle when I ride solo. I have some charged 18500, 18650 and RCR123A cells, plus fresh 123A primaries in my duty bag at all times.

I have been razzed by my partners about my illumination tools interest, but I am the one they come to for purchasing information as well as to borrow lights when their standard-choice lights crap out on them.

Background: 33 years experience (as of noon 2008-10-27), all in uniform, General Duties until Aug 2001, then all on "the dark side" - Traffic Services - since then. Traffic rules, everyone else drools!