Most common Police Flashlight

I realize the trend is changing away from big to smaller Flashlights. What are most Police Departments issuing today for the officers? Is Mag still the standard issue or are smaller lights like the Stinger slowly taking over. Is there a LED flashlight there yet or still a few years away?
My reason I want to know is I have high respect for the police and I know their flashlights get heavy use and knowing what they are comfortable with will help me decide which to buy for my own and less risky use.

I think that Streamlight rechargeables, in different flavors, have the bulk of the police business.

They work, great warranty, repair stations in larger cities.

In my neck of the woods, I still see a few LEOs with big Maglites on their belts. They may have the worst beams, but they do make great "civilian control devices" if you catch my meaning. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I know of only 2 officers in town who carry Surefire 6Ps, but I do see alot of Streamlights being carried. One told me that many prefer to buy their own duty lights. There's only one military and police outfitter in the area and most of the lights they carry are Streamlights anyway so it obvious where they're getting them from.

I asked a local LEO and he said they were issued cheap plastic 2D's. If they wanted something else it would have to come out of their own wallets. He said almost everyone at his paticular station had a Streamlight. He wasn't too familiar with Surefire though..

I hope Wayne gets some more dealers for the Elektro Lumens Blaster series. They'd be great for that. He was (is still?) even offering a wider head for police use that would fit in the mag-style ring holders. Won't pop the bulb in a Blaster if it has to see club use, plus a set of D cells could last for weeks.

Around here (Houston) the stinger series is the most popular. Some of the brass and plain clothes carry the 6P or scorpian.

I've noticed small Stingers or Scorpions for carry, and either a Magcharger or large Streamlight in the cruiser. D cell Mags, SureFires, and the odd ancient Kel pop up sometimes.

My Department issues the Mag 2 cell as standard but no one carries these.We are given a huge discount on bulk purchases from a local supplier and almost all new recruits come out with their own personal bought item.
Personally the Stinger is carried by about 75 percent of all officers I know.I carried one for 4 years and it was honestly the toughest light I have seen yet.I have thrown it,dropped it,exposed it to all sorts of weather and even left it in a burning car to retrieve it after the fire was out later.It survived years of torture with only the cover on the switch wearing out however still functional.
It was given to a friend(Owen)who still uses it some times.
Lots of the new guys still prefer the Stinger and usually appreciate the value of a good back up.More officers use Surefire lights as back up due to the smaller size(E1E)
Hardly any carry an LED but with makers like Pelican this may change in the future.
I think Stinger is still the most popular and for good reason.The rechargeable mag is carried by some older officers as this is what they started with and officers generally do not like change.
These things make great impact weapons and I have seen some take a great hit without damaging anything other than some poor criminals anatomy...hehe
I like the Surefires products simply for the looks and now carry a Commander.I honestly like the appeal of this light but still think the Stinger is a better deal.
Looks over function was a hard lesson for me to learn and sometimes I am still vulnerable to this.

Patrol gets rechargeable Streamlights, they have the market sewn up.
SWAT get Surefires.

Alot of the larger PD's are going to plastic Streamlights hence the Polystingers. Metal flashlights were being used as impact weapons instead of batons and lawsuits resulted.

GregR

In our jail we actually have streamlight vulcan spotlights mounted up on teh walls.....(where the officers go) ...we are not issued lights othewise but we can carry what we want no matter how big /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Here in Germany i see mostly MiniMags ( no comment on this)
and MAG xD ... (I think because they looks so impressive)

Maybe there are others in use by officers not so present
in the public ...

Cheers
Ralf

Going a tad off topic here...

Looking at the Streamlight stinger to purchase.

The 'regular' stinger (knurled aluminum) I believe would fit into the Uncle Mikes belt holder fine. The polystinger on the other hand has a rubber grip on it, which from my experience with the Scorpion, the rubber grabs inside the holster making removal very difficult.
(Uncle Mikes # 8818-3 case)

Does anyone use the Uncle Mikes stinger case/holster? What stinger version do you use in it? (poly or alum stinger)What is your experience with the rubber grabbing?

Thanks!

I've read a lot about the flashlight lawsuits; I'm curious about one detail. Other than the higher weight of a 6D Mag or something, why is it so much worse beating on a guy with a flashlight vs. a baton?

[ QUOTE ]
ABTOMAT said:
...Other than the higher weight of a 6D Mag or something, why is it so much worse beating on a guy with a flashlight vs. a baton?

[/ QUOTE ]

Pick up and swing a retractable ASP baton, then do the same with a Magcharger/3D and you will immediately realize its skull-crushing potential.

Brightnorm

Streamlight is king.

Issued: PolyStinger
Uniform : civilian dress
Actually carry: McLux PR-T Lux III with a DownBoy 917 MA on top of a L4 body. I use Pila 168S in it. I keep a spare set of cr123as in my pocket.

Looking forward to carrying MR. Bulk's VIP as backup.

[ QUOTE ]
ABTOMAT said:
I've read a lot about the flashlight lawsuits; I'm curious about one detail. Other than the higher weight of a 6D Mag or something, why is it so much worse beating on a guy with a flashlight vs. a baton?

[/ QUOTE ]

I have also heard - but not confirmed - that there's a difference in which end of the flashlight is used. Is this because of the glass content in the head?

My cousin is a leo in colorado Springs, is issued a 2-D mag but carries a Stinger and has a scorpion for back-up....my friend who is on the Nebraska Highway Patrol has a 4-D mag in his cruiser, with a Streamlight TL-2 on him at all times...he had to buy the TL-2 but requested the 4-D mag....I think that there would probably be a little difference in applications City police officer vs. Rural/Highway patrol....

I think Mags were mostly carried in years past as this was really the only high power option.Lights now are becoming smaller with the same or similiar output.
I think that many officers are now going for smaller lights due to limited space on the duty belt.
Stinger came along at the right time and was a huge success simply as it was a lot smaller option with good output.
I do carry a 3 cell Mag in my bag but it stays in my trunk.
I love the smaller lights as they are always on my belt and take up little room.
I also think that officers do not actually want to use their large lights as an impact weapon however it does happen.This is simply because the officer usually has the light already in his hand.If sudden trouble happens it is just a reaction to use what you have.I do not think that any officer would take the time to discard his light and reach for a baton or mace.
I have seen cases where an officer was attacked as he was speaking with a man on a traffic stop or other contact.One situation the officer was struck once and went down with his Stinger still in hand.The officer reacted with a punch however still held his light.The little Stinger held tough but the criminal received many stitches to a nasty cut as the light did a lot of damage.
Next case an officer wrote a ticket and was attatcked when he asked the man to sign it.He was also struck and began swinging whatever he had at the time.In this case it was a citation holder made of aluminum.Man he almost killed this guy with a little ticket book.
I think it is less common now as most officers are going with smaller and smaller lights.Still happens but you just dont hear about it as much.

What's the weight/size difference between a midsize aluminum light and standard solid police baton? I realize a good whack with a many-cell light may pop someone open like a watermelon, but are billys or (solid) batons that less dangerous?

Lights are usually swung from the head. Easy to bust a bulb if you give thef smack with that end. Hence holding it around the switch with the tail end resting on your shoulder. LEOs must have had stronger shoulders in years past. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif