Police: How many are now using a weapons light?

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Panzerschwein

Panzerschwein

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Hello. It seems pistol mounted flashlights are a popular thing these days. How many police are now carrying them in a holster? What benefits do they give the police officer? Do you think they are needed in today's police world, or can they (or should they) do without?

Would love to hear from those on duty now as well. Thanks so much all!
 
I'm in a 2nd tier city. Pop around 200K. At HQ, I personally have not seen any patrol officers with weapon light/lasers. I have seen a few plainclothes with light/lasers. I'm guessing it has something to do with holster options.
 
Cooldill said:
It seems pistol mounted flashlights are a popular thing these days. How many police are now carrying them in a holster?
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Most, I would think. I live in a town of just under 20,000 people. Our local PD has 27 sworn police officers. They do have weapon mounted lights on their pistols. The only other agency that I have personal knowledge of (a state patrol agency) does also issue WMLs for their officers' pistols.
What benefits do they give the police officer? Do you think they are needed in today's police world, or can they (or should they) do without?
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Officers work 24/7, which means they're out at night. Criminals don't generally make it a point to only work in daylight. What benefit? The ability to use a pistol without being forced to hold a flashlight in the other hand, I guess. CAN they do without? Maybe. Should they have to? No.
 
Onward Allusion said:
I personally have not seen any patrol officers with weapon light/lasers. I have seen a few plainclothes with light/lasers. I'm guessing it has something to do with holster options.
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That's interesting. I would have thought it would be the other way around - with uniformed officers having lights, and plainclothes officers generally not having them. What holster manufacturer does your department issue? Safariland is the largest LE holster manufacturer I know of, and their line of light-bearing holsters is pretty impressive.
 
It always puzzled me that anyone would want to put a light on a gun or hold it in front of their body.. The first thing a bad guy would aim at is the light.. I have taken a low-light gunfighting seminar with an ex SEALs instructor and an ex Spetsnaz, and they specifically taught us not to hold a light in front of our bodies.. Made perfect sense to me..
Gil
 
The PD where I live uses mounted lights on their Glocks and their M4s. Most officers in plain clothes don't have lights mounted due to concealment issues, but they carry a small light in their pocket or wherever. Safariland is the only company I am aware of that makes decent holsters for serious duty use that meets basic requirements like retention, appearance on the duty belt, etc. Even during daylight hours, an officer may need a light. Abandoned houses and the like used by criminals for whatever activity often don't have power (lights), nor do areas like crawl spaces, out-buildings, closed businesses, etc. Weapons lights should be used "conservatively" whenever possible- short flashes, and MOVE. You can't hit your target if you can't identify it, and you may engage the wrong target. $200 is cheap insurance for protection from people hiding in the dark or the fallout of an accidental shooting.
 
What holster manufacturer does your department issue?
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They DON'T and I think that may be the issue. The force is provided with a list of approved weapons or guidelines (I forget) and the cop gets a stipend that pays for their equipment. No standardized holster, light, gun, caliber (9, 40, or 45) or even vest!!! Kinda crazy for a force with 300-something sworn.
 
I'm not LE but have a lot of contact with local Sheriffs Deputies and PD guys and gals. It seems many if not most uniformed officers are carrying mounted weapon lights. Lots of Glocks, M&Ps, and 1911s in service in this area. It seems to be common with duty gear, not so much with plain clothes. I guess they, like most of us armed civilians like a liitle variety, and its a little harder to find nice leather pancake holsters that accomedate a mounted light.
 
We're issued G22s with TLR's in Safariland duty holsters. I use my personal Surefire X300's on my pistol and AR.

Even with WML you'll still want a separate handheld light. Different tools require different techniques.
 
gilgsn said:
It always puzzled me that anyone would want to put a light on a gun or hold it in front of their body.. The first thing a bad guy would aim at is the light.. I have taken a low-light gunfighting seminar with an ex SEALs instructor and an ex Spetsnaz, and they specifically taught us not to hold a light in front of our bodies.. Made perfect sense to me..
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You sure about that? I have trained with SEALs and lights were standard issue on long guns. During a fast paced breach, there would be 2-4 high intensity white lights pointed at whoever is in a room or building. Return fire would be inaccurate at best. A training counter measure to any return fire is to move off firing line axis. Light on, identify target. Light off, move. Light on if needed, fire. Lights on handguns are a bit more difficult for holster options and most of our military does not use handguns with rails.

Our local city metro PD allows officers to put Streamlight TLR lights on their duty firearms. They must provide their own holsters made by Bladetech, Safariland, or other duty popular company ie no custom jobs.
 
There are definitely "preferred techniques" to using a weapon mounted light, or for that matter any light in a live fire scenario. And yes, a handheld light in addition to the weapon light is a must. The key to this task is training by someone who knows what they are doing, and practice. It doesn't hurt and doesn't cost anything to clear your weapon and occasionally practice these drills with a dry weapon in or around your home at night (as long as it doesn't freak out your neighbors). I'll give you a hint- If you are standing in one place and using your light in the constant on mode like you are looking for your dog that got out, or a dropped set of keys in the yard, you are doing it wrong.
 
We can carry a weapon mounted light on our m&p 40 but the officer must pay for the light and holster.
 
That's pretty sorry that officers are required to pay for basic equipment to keep themselves mission effective and safe like lights and holsters. That's also equipment that prevents the wrong person from getting shot, the officer being charged, and the department out the news.
 
I agree but use of logic when spending tax payers money is not a primary goal of the .gov
 
Many departments do not have discretionary funds to issue a variety of lights/lasers and the holsters that fit them. It is easier for a department to pick one standard, for example Surefire X300 for issue to officers who qualify/want the light. And then have the officer foot the bill for the holster. Unless you have that one gear head who wants to have his own weapon light, having a standard should work for most people.
 
It always puzzled me that anyone would want to put a light on a gun or hold it in front of their body.. The first thing a bad guy would aim at is the light..
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This is a bogus, unproven theory. The advantages vastly outweigh any disadvantages, real or perceived.
 
I work nights and have a weapon mounted light on my pistol and rifle. Officers pay for their lights, but the city gives an option of issuing a light bearing holster or not. I have taken 3 or 4 low light classes; all of them taught both handheld light shooting and weapon mounted light shooting.

A weapon mounted light is a near necessity any time a ballistic shield is used in low light, as one hand is holding the shield and the other the gun, which leaves zero hands to hold a flashlight.

It always puzzled me that anyone would want to put a light on a gun or hold it in front of their body.. The first thing a bad guy would aim at is the light.
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People can be armed with lots of things, and in many police scenarios the bad guys know exactly where the cops are and vice versa.

While I practice shooting one handed both strong and support side, I am faster and more accurate with both hands on my pistol. When facing a man holding a knife, I prefer to illuminate him with a weapon mounted light with both hands on my pistol.

Same with making felony car stops on armed suspects. I'd rather have both hand on my gun and illuminate the suspect who has a visible handgun in the waistband than try and hold my flashlight away from my body while aiming one handed.

There are different tools for different jobs, and in my opinion having a weapon mounted light has no downside other than cost.
 
Its possible to accurately engage using a pistol with a handheld light. To people who think either is just as good, I tell them to do the following while holding a light in one hand and a pistol in the other: Reload, clear a malfunction, open a door, retrieve an object from a belt or pocket, operate a communication device. These are all simple tasks- not very complex at all. If the light is tethered to the non-firing wrist, it may be easier, but you will still have a light hanging off your hand going all over the place.
 
Waterhouse- do you believe there are applications for weapon mounted lights for officers who work during daylight hours? In the military in Afg. I often used a weapon mounted light when clearing dark structures during hours of daylight.
 
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I agree but use of logic when spending tax payers money is not a primary goal of the .gov
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I bought my own TLR-1 8 years ago.

Anything that helps with target identification is money well spent. I use my weapon light on my duty belt pistol, but it's rare that I wear the duty belt anymore. Plainclothes I go without a light and use a smaller sidearm.

FWIW, I can illuminate and identify a target, and then move and shoot with decent accuracy right to where I recall seeing the target. Try it sometime. I prefer not having the light on during fire. Smoke in the air obscures the target and diffuses the light after the first few shots.
 
Fl-nc, when I do work day shift I still use the same lights (both flashlight and weapon light), I just use them less. As you mentioned, there is potential for any structure search to be quite dark.
 
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