Police Flashlights: Top Three Things Police Officers Look For

Pelican engineering is constantly evolving to create top-quality gear that best serves professionals on the job. That’s why our engineers work closely with police departments who rely on our tactical products to review and give feedback on what features they need on the force. For Pelican’s newest 7 series tactical flashlights, two hard-working pros gave us their honest feedback. What do these officers have in common? Both Sergeant William Seymour of the Tulare County Sherriff’s Department and Zachary Hathaway, Law Enforcement Officer with the Department of Homeland Security, use and depend on Pelican gear every day on the job. Recently, they reviewed Pelican’s 7070R and 7620 tactical flashlights and spoke to us about what’s most important for them in a police flashlight.

Adaptability, Functionality, and Reliability.

The ability to be Adaptable is key for our police force, and one way that Pelican achieved this is with the charging capabilities and charging sources in 7 series police flashlights. The Pelican 7110, 7610, and 7620 can use multiple types of batteries combination of 2AA batteries, 2 CR123, 3CR123 or Pelican rechargeable batteries.

For Officer Seymour, the multi-battery use is a feature he counts on, “One of the best features is the ability to switch battery types. I always have 123A batteries, and AA batteries available, meaning I always have the ability to get batteries. The brightness is definitely subject to the battery choice, but it is still adequate”

Officer Hathaway sings the features praises as well, “Having this capability in a flashlight as a law enforcement officer is second to none! Being able to share batteries with other officers if the flashlight goes down is a great feature to have in emergency situations. Both these flashlights come with multiple light modes (High, Strobe, Medium, and Low), making them an ideal flashlight to use when conducting arrests, searches, or when used in emergency situations in or out of the office. Pelican’s well-thought-out designs give an officer the ability to comfortably carry and function their tactical flashlight in one hand, while easily carrying their issued firearm in the other.”

The third most important attribute for the officers is functionality. The 7 series lights, pack a lot of light and power for their size, a feature that couldn’t be overlooked.

“The Pelican 7620 flashlight will be my new go-to flashlight while on duty,” says Officer Hathaway. “The overall 6.75” length of the 7620 makes it very easy to wield in one hand and have an issued firearm in the other, while simultaneously working the flashlight’s functions.  It’s not heavy or bulky, making it easy to attach to a tactical vest, a belt, or pants pocket with its removable pocket clip. Yes, there are smaller flashlights available, but the 7620 boasts the perfect balance of the right size and weight to have on duty, in addition to its lighting capabilities.”

Officer Seymour agrees that the weight and light is a good balance, “It’s lightweight for the amount of light it provides, and it works well carried on a duty belt all day or all shift without being cumbersome. This type of light should be carried by all officers on their duty belts.”

Lastly, Officer Hathaway insists that a flashlight must be rugged and reliable. “If a product has the best features or has the brightest light, it doesn’t do anything for me if I can’t rely on it when I need it the most. I need a product that has been tested and proven not to fail.”

The intuitive holster and flashlight combination gave Officer Seymour complete confidence to “remove the flashlight from the holder and also to return it without taking your eyes off of a potential threat, which is critical. I was able to easily remove my 7620 from the holster both with and without the plastic wand attachment.”

Pelican offers a lifetime warranty on all flashlights, and has a variety of lighting tools for the law enforcement community. To learn more about the 7 series lights reviewed here click here. The 7 series also includes the 7600 light which is a standard issue by some of the largest Police Departments in the United States. Customization is available on all lights in this post.

Check out the entire lineup of tactical lights from Pelican here.