NCJ Number
217975
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 55 Issue: 3 Dated: March 2007 Pages: 77-84
Date Published
March 2007
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This article describes "Streamlight's" Team One Network's 3-day Low-Light/Laser Instructor course, which addresses the integration of low-light and laser training into any current police training program.
Abstract
Such training is important because most attacks on officers and officers' decisions about their use of force occur at night under low-light conditions. Also, many civil cases that have focused on officer-involved shootings in low-light conditions have turned on whether or not the officers received training in how to enhance and operate under low-light conditions. The course uses Streamlight's latest flashlights, both hand-held and weapon-mounted. The course first presents a quick review of virtually every type of illumination device on the market. Differences in basic flashlight design are discussed, as well as differences in bulbs and batteries. The course also covers how to use artificial light tactically to an officer's advantage rather than disadvantage. The focus is on using the light to expose darkened areas without making the holder of the light an easy target for a hidden assailant. The course covers 10 different handgun flashlight techniques, 2 unsupported and 8 supported. Each of these techniques is briefly described in this article. Other topics covered in the course are reloading a gun while holding a flashlight, the features and advantages as well as disadvantages of weapon-mounted lights, and low-light tactics in various scenarios. The article concludes with a summary of the course's discussion of the laser light compared with white light. Photo illustrations