Next to his or her weapon, the most critical piece of gear a police officer may carry is a flashlight. Whether for license checks, completing paperwork, conducting maneuvers, or performing other tasks under darkened conditions, a compact, all-purpose duty light is an indispensable tool for search, detection, and defensive uses. Even day-shift officers should never be without one, as first responders never know when they will encounter a dark basement, a power failure, or other low-light situations while on patrol.

“Many law enforcement professionals subscribe to the theory that ‘one is none and two is one’ when it comes to flashlights, and typically carry one all-purpose patrol size light plus an ultracompact EDC light for back up use,” said Tim Taylor, director of law enforcement and sporting goods sales for Streamlight, a leading provider of high-performance lighting for law enforcement professionals worldwide.

Streamlight manufactures flashlights for a wide variety of applications. There is no one light that works well in all situations for any user, Taylor said. “Hand-held flashlight choice depends on intended use, and purchasers need to consider their applications and how they will be using the light(s) to select the products that best meet their needs.”

When choosing a patrol light, a good place to start is with the ANSI rating system for flashlight products. This system was designed to provide a uniform way of testing, defining, measuring, and bench marking basic flashlight performance. The standard helps customers rate and compare the most important features of personal lighting tools, including lumens, candela peak beam intensity, beam distance, impact resistance, run time, light output, and water resistance.

Participating manufacturers, including Streamlight, provide a rating on their packaging, catalogs, and websites that show how each light performed across these measures.

With that information in hand, added Taylor, following are five basic guidelines to keep in mind when purchasing a handheld patrol light:

1. How Bright?

Patrol officers should carry a compact, all-purpose light with high, medium, and low settings that delivers brightness of at least 500 lumens, a measurement of the total quantity of emitted overall light. Such lights are designed for the broadest range of patrol duties and also offer the longest regulated run times. Lights which provide between 500-2,000 lumens are better suited for room clearing or illuminating a dark alley or outdoor path. This type of light provides full situational awareness, casting a bright white beam that lights up an entire area, including what might be hiding in the corners.

2. How Far?

While lumen output is an important metric, it doesn’t tell the whole story. Lumens are a measurement of the total output of the light. Lumens does not take into consideration the quality of the light’s components (LED, reflector, lens, etc.) or the light’s beam pattern. The light’s candela or peak beam intensity measurement (the brightest spot in a focused beam) and beam distance or down-range “throw” are equally important for evaluating overall brightness.

Look for a peak beam intensity/ candela rating of at least 12,000+ and a beam distance of 200-400+ meters for most patrolling needs, although higher candela lights deliver superior long-range lighting for applications down range, such as during search and rescue operations or when lighting up a dark trail.

When performing tasks under low-light conditions, many officers carry an ultra-compact EDC light. Look for models that are small enough to be carried in or clipped to a pocket while offering high lumen output and battery versatility.

3. What Battery Type?

One of the biggest trends in flashlight technology is USB-rechargeable products, giving law enforcement professionals the ability to charge on-the-go from most any USB power source. USB rechargeable lights save time and avoid the worry of not having batteries on hand when they are needed most - first responders can simply connect to a USB port, an AC wall adaptor, or use a USB charger that plugs into a patrol vehicle’s on-board USB port.

Lights that are “dual fuel” are powered by rechargeable batteries but can also accept lithium or alkaline battery types, helping to ensure officers are never in the dark. Some rechargeable batteries even feature an integrated USB charging port that lets users charge the battery outside of the flashlight, eliminating the need for a separate charger base.

There are several key advantages with rechargeable batteries, including significant cost savings, increased light performance, and knowing a light is at full battery performance when an officer hits the streets. The cost savings in a single year can be significant versus the cost of disposable/non-rechargeable batteries. The more time a patrol officer runs a light, the larger the cost saving would be with rechargeable batteries.

Thanks to new battery technology, lights also can have increased performance and output using Streamlight’s USB rechargeable batteries; one of the most critical advantages of rechargeable batteries is that when they are fully charged, officers know that their light is at 100% performance for both output and run time. On the other hand, with a disposable type/ non-rechargeable battery that may have used once or twice, it’s difficult to know how much battery life remains.

4. How Durable?

Officers should typically look for products with impact-resistant construction, fabricated from materials like machined aircraft aluminum or high-impact polymer. Flashlight manufacturers provide an impact-resistance rating as part of the ANSI rating system discussed above.

5. What Features?

Today’s lighting products are not your father’s flashlight. In addition to multi-fuel battery and convenient charging options, look for other innovative features such as a programmable switch that allows users to change the order of the light’s settings to the modes that work best for them.

Independently operated tail cap and head mounted switches can increase the light’s maximum versatility.

Tip: Upgrade Lights Regularly

Finally, added Taylor, because leading manufacturers like Streamlight consistently introduce new products, law enforcement personnel should upgrade their lighting tools regularly to take advantage of these improvements. Doing so can make a real difference in terms of first responder efficiency, productivity, and safety on the job.