LAPD will design their own flashlight

PhotonBoy

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L. A. Daily News

"Two days after announcing that LAPD officers will stop carrying heavy metal flashlights that can inflict serious injuries, Chief William Bratton said Thursday that his officers will design their own rather than buy off-the-shelf models.

Bratton estimated that it would take a committee several months to design a device that's lightweight, bright and virtually incapable of causing serious injury. He didn't know how much it would cost to develop...."

This should be really interesting -- a flashlight designed by committee in a highly-charged political situation.
 

NewBie

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Since most the weight is from the batteries anyhow, and not the metal part, I assume they will not be using batteries in the flashlight. Maybe they can run them off jelly donuts?

Doh!
 

Lurker

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Meanwhile, they are restricted to using a plastic bottle with fireflies trapped inside.
 

Pellidon

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A jelly donut with an anode inserted and a cup of coffee with the cathode kind of like the spud battery from the murky days of alchemical electronics.

I haven't seen any fireflies since June. I forgot to plug them in one morning and they went out.

A FBOP Tigerlight is shorter than a 3 or 4 cell skull chuffer and still useful as a light.

Personally I don't have a problem with LEO's using a BFL as a handy attitude adjuster. I am pretty sure I am not going to be in the receiving position of one since I don't engage in the kinds of things that cause the light to tell the officer to play whack-a-punk.

Gerber could offer up all those now mislabled CMG Ultra's that the stores are discounting (the store formerly known as Galyan's) as inferior to the new Gerber branded same light <?><?><?><?>

And since we are giving them gerbil lights, lets give them 25acp mouse guns to keep from hurting the nitwits. And foam fingers instead of batons. I'm sure B@rt has a picture of just this outfit.....

I used to work in a radio shop where we made a steel cased 2-way radio that the local officers commented could bop someone on the head and still keep working. But technology gave way and we were squeezed out by the lighter cheaper plastic radios that couldn't stand up to any hard use.
 

turbodog

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[ QUOTE ]
Lurker said:
Meanwhile, they are restricted to using a plastic bottle with fireflies trapped inside.

[/ QUOTE ]

So is this the environmentally-friendly version of the shakelight?
 

tkl

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Only in Ca /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif What a cesspool.
 

Mutie

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Maybe we could design them a light?

How cool would that be if the LAPD had a custom CPF designed light?

Mutie
 

IlluminatingBikr

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Mutiny Spears,

That's a great idea. I'm sure we could make a much better light than the committee.

I'm thinking maybe three LuxIII's, with selectable brightness levels, driven off some SubC's, with a body like that of the SF G2.
 

Rothrandir

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i wouldn't want anything to do with such a ridiculously stupid idea as that!

but if i did, i'd probably design them something like this:
macemag_collage.jpg
 

paulr

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I don't see the big problem here. Lots of police departments switched from Stingers and Magchargers, to PolyStingers, for this very reason. Now there's a smaller and more efficient version of the Stinger, called the Strion, which is still made of metal. It sounds like the LAPD basically wants a PolyStrion with tactical grip gizmos like a Surefire G2Z, or alternatively a rechargeable G2Z. I think it would be great if Streamlight or Surefire made something like that. I'm sure lots of CPF'ers would buy them too.
 

Greymage

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Our tax dollars at work....

Wouldn't you think that the officers need adjusting, and not the flashlights?
 

Atomic6

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[ QUOTE ]
tkl said:
Only in Ca /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif What a cesspool.

[/ QUOTE ]

Umm...Cesspool /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

I looks like you are in Baja OK (TX-) lots of mud pies there too... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

now if had said Gene pool you'd be on to something....
 

McGizmo

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Atomic6,

It's cool, tkl always has enlightening and constructive comments to add. If I were prone to generalizations as well as rising to certain baits, I might have a comment about the Lone Star State! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thinking.gif
 

daloosh

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Omigod. "virtually incapable of causing serious injury"

You could kill someone with a polystinger. Hell, you could kill someone with this, if you whack em with it (if they don't die laughing first):
013575_f.jpg

It would take a nerf-flashlite! They should bypass the committee and just go to ToysRUs. Or perhaps batons are for striking and flashlites are for lighting.

I think Bratton is a good cop and did a great job here in NY (while he wasn't partying at Elaine's) but it sounds kinda crazy to design from scratch.

daloosh
 

tygger

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its all a publicity move. it'll never happen cause it would cost millions and the LAPD is already cash/resource strapped. maybe the bev. hills PD, or west hollywood SD could afford to do this but definitely not LAPD. besides, whats the point? spend that money on new vests and more cops and buy everybody some Blaster 3P's. Okay, since they want plastic, go with about 10,000 Angle lux's. Now there's an order for Wayne. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif
 

Kram

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Maybe it's a good move. After all, it is California and conventional flashlights are probably known to cause cancer there...
 
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