Low Light Considerations

I would guess that the mass majority of Law Enforcement Officers in the United States carry at least one flashlight of any make and model at least part of their shift. Whether the officer works during the day or during the night, every officer should carry at least one light, if not more. There is nothing worse than conducting a building search and have your light’s battery completely drain and not have a backup.

A few years ago, fellow officer and I were conducting a building search of a residence that had the front door kicked-in and the alarm sounding. It was late afternoon so the majority of the first and second floors were fairly well lit by the ambient light from outside. However, Mr. Murphy reared his ugly head as we went to check on the basement. The fellow officer that I was clearing the residence with had that “uhh-ohh” moment when we were about halfway down the basement stairs when his light stopped working. Luckily I was carrying my duty-issued Streamlight Stinger and my personal Surefire 6P. I was using the 6P because I liked the smaller size that allowed me to manipulate door knobs and anything else I needed to open while leaving my strong hand for what the strong hand should be doing, holding my handgun. I provided him with the Stinger and we completed the job. My point to all of this is that your light can fail you at any time, most likely it will happen at the most inopportune time.

One light or two or more?
As I mentioned above, only having one light has its obvious drawback. Aside from the batteries or bulb failing, burning out, or dying, there are some other problems that can cause you to have a bad day. You could drop your light, you could break your light, you could forget your light in your patrol car, the possibilities could be endless. I am a huge advocate of having multiple light sources on your person. I’m not saying that you have to have two full sized flashlights on your duty belt. The days of large incandescent D-Cell Maglights are behind us. I still have a Streamlight SL-20, but I rarely, if ever carry it anymore. My primary light for patrol is the Blackhawk Gladius Maximus, which packs 120 lumen for 2 hours on just 2 CR-123 batteries. It has a robust rotating tailcap that I can select constant on, strobe, and momentary on. I can also dim the light from 120 lumen down to 1.5 lumen. I also carry a SureFire G2 on my belt. Both lights are small and lightweight and produce enough light throw to get the job done. Think outside of the box as well. I carry a small Life Gear LED light on my keychain that doesn’t pack much light throw, but it will assist me in navigation if the other two fail. So what if all three fail? I have a flashlight application on my HTC EVO cell phone that actually puts out quite a bit of light to navigate with. Don’t restrict yourself to the conventional thought of what types of lights to carry, but try to ensure that you have at least two of them.

LED or Incandescent?
With the advancements in LED technology these days, it is hard to beat the brightness and battery life of LED over Incandescent. Some say that LED light produces a cooler, more white color balance which they do not feel is natural. Incandescent lights produce a warmer color balance, which some are more accustom to. However, in my opinion, the LED lights appear to throw light further than the Incandescent lights do. I personally prefer the LED lights over the Incandescent ones.

Small, Medium, or Large?
The size of your flashlight is something that you will have to determine for yourself. I prefer a smaller flashlight that packs a high lumen count. Others prefer a large flashlight that can be used as an impromptu impact weapon. A smaller light can be an advantage when you are in need of doing some sort of manipulation while holding your light, whether it be turning a door knob or racking the slide of your handgun. Before buying a new light, see if someone already has one so you can try it out to determine if it fits your style of doing business. Train with it as well. A lot of officers will clear a building with flashlight in one hand and gun in the other, but never fire that way on the range.

Plastic or Metal?
There are pros and cons for each. Metal flashlights are heavier, which is more weight that you have to carry around with you, however they make a great impromptu impact weapon or can be used to break out a car window if need be. Plastic flashlights are lighter, but may not be the best tool for using to impact anything with. More likely than not, your light will break before your suspect or the window will.

Rechargeable or Replaceable Batteries?
I currently have many different lights. Some are rechargeable, some require new batteries. There are pros and cons to both. With a rechargeable flashlight you can save money over time without having to buy new batteries, but you may have to wait a considerable amount of time before your light is fully charged. With a battery powered flashlight you will have to spend the money to replace the batteries, but once they are replaced you are immediately ready to continue on. Again, another reason to have a backup light.

5.11 Tactical currently makes a flashlight called the “Light for Life”. The UC3.400 model puts out up to 270 lumen and recharges in 90 seconds. Interestingly, the “Light for Life” does not use a conventional rechargeable battery, rather it uses a capacitor.

Strobe Feature?
Does your flashlight have a strobe feature? Yeah, I know they are fun to mess with your friends with and you can pretend that you are in a nightclub, but there are actually tactical purposes for the strobe. When the strobe feature is used in a manner where the user is moving the beam of the light around in a figure-eight pattern while moving the arm around, the suspect has an extremely hard time in determining where the source of the light is coming from. Couple the disorienting strobe effect with the light bouncing off of interior walls of a building in almost complete darkness, an officer can enter a room undetected by the suspect while the officer’s partner is controlling the light. Note: The light has to momentarily be turned off while the officer is entering the room. During a low light class during a Firearms Instructor course, this technique was used. There were eight students in the room, with one acting as a suspect. The instructor showed that he could detect the suspect and another officer could enter the room undetected, which nobody believed. Not one of the eight students observed the second officer enter the room and that officer had the “suspect” at gun-point (dummy gun) before the suspect could react. Obviously this is a tactic that needs to be practiced, especially with both officers, but it is a great technique to be used.

Weapon Mounted Light?
Handgun or Rifle, it doesn’t matter. The largest problem that I have seen over and over with weapons mounted lights is the propensity for the officer to use the weapon mounted light for searching. Unfortunately when an officer uses the weapon mounted light to search with, the officer is violating one of the Fundamental Firearms Safety Rules….”NEVER POINT YOUR GUN AT ANYTHING YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO SHOOT/DESTROY.” If you are searching with your weapon light and are more mindful of where the light is than where your muzzle is, you will be aiming your muzzle at many things/people that you don’t intend to shoot. You can use your weapon light to search with, however, use a light-bounce technique that will allow the light to bounce off of the floor or the surroundings, while maintaining a low-ready or sul position. With a handgun, I highly recommend that you search with a handheld light in one hand and your handgun in the other. You will be able to maintain a low-ready or sul position, keeping your gun pointed in a safe direction, while having the capability of freely shining your light wherever you wish.


Please feel free to contact me with any suggestions, comments, or concerns at washlefi@gmail.com.