Recomendations for the LAPD

beezaur

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Mag 4-D!

"an LAPD officer was captured on videotape hitting a car-chase suspect with a flashlight . . ."

Better tool for the job!

Scott
 

DimBeam

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Knowing LA and their propensity to do the politically correct thing the following specs will be assigned to each flashlight.

1. It cannot use batteries because of the environment.
2. It can't be made out of anything harder than a nerf ball.
They will come to the obvious decision that the safest thing to do is only arrest people during daylight and not to enter spooky dark places. Problem solved!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banned2.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/happy14.gif
 

Brighteyez

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Most departments that have gone that route have gone with a Polystinger or a Stinger, but some of the those departments also went to an ASP to replace PR-24s as well.
 

dano

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Chief Bratton has already chosen. Not sure what the light is, though. I'll ask around...

-dan
 

KDOG3

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I can't believe no one has mentioned Surefire. I'm suprised the company isn't down there marketing like crazy...
 

Mike 161

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One of my co-workers has a brother who is a Sergeant with the L.A. Sheriff's Department; my co-worker's brother knows several LAPD Officers, and was told the LAPD was adopting the Streamlight SL-20XP and "outlawing" the aluminum flashlights (at least the full-size ones).

I don't know how accurate this information is, so don't take it as gospel.

Mike
 

MrBenchmark

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Hey, I'm not a police officer, so this may be a silly question, but wouldn't it be better to just teach the police officers to not use large, improvised weapons to subdue suspects, and to give them equipment and training that provides alternatives to using a flashlight to take somebody down? I'm pretty sure that anybody who's resisting arrest is going to face a fairly unpleasant experience with their arresting officer no matter what technique they use. (Again, though, I can imagine there are better tools for the job than a flashlight.) This seems to continually surprise people in the media, though. Since the officers almost certainly carried firearms, a flashlight doesn't seem all that lethal to me, but I can imagine that incorrectly wielded, it might tend to injure someone more severely than was warranted by their actions. Not trying to be a smart-aleck, I just really want to know - because this seems like a silly way to solve the problem. I mean, yeah, when I'm carrying a big maglight out in the woods, at night, the notion that it's a big friggin' club is reassuring. But then again, I'm a civilian, so I'm liable to do all sorts of questionable things when surprised or distressed that a trained professional simply would not do. (At least that's my naive assumption about trained, professional police officers.)
 

beezaur

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"I can't believe no one has mentioned Surefire. . ."

That's what I thought too, but I wonder about budget. If these guys have been using a $20 light, a Surefire might be a little beyond their equipment alowance. It would depend upon who is buying their D-cells, and the economics of initial cost vs. continued cost.

Scott
 

voodoogreg

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Need to find some one that will make one outta that stuff that um,,, those maritial aids are made out of. So there is a little less damage when thing's go barney.( i am only half joking, had LAPD "answer" a question for me once with the end of a maglite)

Just don't mold them into pink elctric, blue etc /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif VDG
 

beezaur

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[ QUOTE ]
MrBenchmark said:
wouldn't it be better to just teach the police officers to not use large, improvised weapons to subdue suspects . . . I just really want to know - because this seems like a silly way to solve the problem. I mean, yeah, when I'm carrying a big maglight out in the woods, at night, the notion that it's a big friggin' club is reassuring.. . .

[/ QUOTE ]

I suspect it is the same for police officers. They are in harm's way and have this club in their hand already to see by. Much faster to use what is already deployed than to put it down and grab something less effective for protecting yourself.

Getting whacked with a 3-D mag is pretty harsh, I'll grant that. But, first, the vast majority of "whackees" have it comming. Second, my understanding is that, during the adrenaline-filled minutes of an arrest, many criminals literally will not react to anything less than physical force.

Pepper spray is not always an effective weapon, and you can't just go and shoot people all the time. Nor can you expect an officer to get into physical fights to supply that force, night after night after night. A club is a legitimate and effective weapon that has no practical substitute.

I don't see an ethical problem with using a Mag as a weapon.

Scott
 

Greg

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My recommendation is probably the Pelican M6 incan. As long as they can dish out the dough for the batteries, the flashlight would be relatively cheap if bought in the amounts that they are going to purchase them in.
 

brightnorm

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A small Surefire won't burn long enough; the Mag is used primarily as a duty light, not a tactical light. Biggest problem is its massive weight which can inflict serious injury more easily than many batons. Officer needs an edge when it hits the fan, I can well understand their reluctance to give up the big Mags.

Brightnorm
 

enLIGHTenment

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[ QUOTE ]
MrBenchmark said:
wouldn't it be better to just teach the police officers to not use large, improvised weapons to subdue suspects,

[/ QUOTE ]

When it comes to 'subduing suspects,' the LAPD has much more severe problems than merely what tool its officers use.

Give 'em small flashlights, collapsable batons, and training to the effect that the vast majority of police-public interactions do not involve beating people up.
 

AuroraLite

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[ QUOTE ]
beezaur said:

Getting whacked with a 3-D mag is pretty harsh, I'll grant that. But, first, the vast majority of "whackees" have it comming. Second, my understanding is that, during the adrenaline-filled minutes of an arrest, many criminals literally will not react to anything less than physical force.

Pepper spray is not always an effective weapon, and you can't just go and shoot people all the time. Nor can you expect an officer to get into physical fights to supply that force, night after night after night. A club is a legitimate and effective weapon that has no practical substitute.

I don't see an ethical problem with using a Mag as a weapon.

Scott

[/ QUOTE ]

I too do think that Mag 3D is not the 'actual' problem--Unless the LEO had a violence tendency, using Mag 3D as an improvised weapon is a better option vs. using guns.

Though I am not a LEO, I believe in any force arrest, the LEO should always have a 'higher' level of force be avialible as an option. And it is proper training and a clam state of mind that will allow an officer to use the appropriate/minimum 'level of force' to get the job done.
Mag 3D or no Mag 3D will not solve un-called for violence, but taking the Mag 3D away from a level headed good officier's hand will just mean one less option they could choose when needed.

Personally, I would think the a police office with Mag3D in hand is much friendly-looking than an officier with baton and a small flashlight. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Now, as a flashaholic and have seen a few modded mag in action--I would suggest to not throw those Mag 3D away, but to purchase borofloat lens, metal reflector, and turn them all into superbulb Mag3D...or put a WTB in the BST here for custom made LED modded Mag.

Should the LAPD read this post and still decide to toss them all away anyway, please kindly pm me. I have a better place for those unwanted mag to go /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 

BlindedByTheLite

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i can't believe the LAPD flashlight thing is seriously holding up...

but...

i'd think another company would jump on that little niche and put out a $20 light superior to a Maglite in every respect.
 

beezaur

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"a $20 light superior to a Maglite in every respect."

Pretty big shoes to fill, for $20. I don't know that I would trust anything else in that price range.

Scott
 

vhyper007

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Yessirree,
and while we are at it, let's:
1 rid them of boots with reinforced toes
2 restrict all but the use of Daisy pellet pistols
3 deny use of any chemicals which cause tearing and shortness of breath.
(Abbreviated medically as "sob"
4 any impact weapon must be made of Kermit the Frog foam
5 handcuffs must be plastic and easily removeable by the perp
6 prisoners (if there are any) could ride along in the front seat instead of behind the "spit shield" and could occasionally even drive at the discretion of whomever films any so called violation of their rights.
7 allow no leather gloves and esp none with lead shot sewn in the knuckles.
8 ban sunglasses and any other lens which might possibly protect an officers' eyes from a potential perp.
9 ban the use of any words that might even conservatively be construed as harsh or injurious of anothers' feelings
10 disallow all searches of any arrestee (see # 6)
11 require any arresting officer to post bond if no one else will.
12 and, invite the perp over to meet their family and have dinner.
.
The pendulum has swung too GD far in the direction of the presumed criminal. The flashlight is first and foremost an illuminating device BUT!!! certain circumstances dictate its intended useage be expanded to fit ever changing needs on the street which are incomprehensible to those whom have never been there.
Police have a hard enough job without having to be concerned with policical correctness also. Those who step out of bounds should clearly be subject to laws and guidelines but anyone who wasn't there when this flashlight incident occurred should shut the hell up or forever be doomed to watching movies without sound.

Whilst we are at it, let's remove the teeth from the dogs and require they wear a diaper while on duty so there'll be no doody.

Then we remove the film from the cameras ad absurdum.

The flashlight is just a necessary device for a police officer and if at times necessity be the mother of invention then so be it.

Been there, done that.
vhyper007
 
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