Pelican 7060 LED Review


Posted on February 8, 2012 by admin

This is a Pelican 7060 LED review. I have used this light for a full year working midnight patrol for city police department. For a night shift patrol officer, a flashlight is as important as a duty weapon. Without a good light I may not get to come home at the end of my shift. I need one that I can count on.

The Pelican company has been in the business for a number of years and they know how to make a good product. They are known throughout the law enforcement and military community for making products that are robust and reliable. In addition to flashlights, they also provide heavy-duty cases for a variety of applications.

A number of years ago the Los Angeles Police Department approached Pelican with a set of requirements for a tactical flashlight. The result was the 7060 LED, every officer in the LAPD is now issued this flashlight. A flashlight for police officers that was designed by police officers is obviously very appealing to anyone looking for a duty flashlight. If you’re not a police officer believe me, if it works for us it will serve you very well.

Here are the Pelican 7060 LED’s stats:

Length – 8.65 inches

Weight – 10.4 oz

Color – Black only

Charge time – 4-5 hours

Batteries – 1x 3.7V 2200 mAh Lithium-Ion

Light Source – LED

Light output 160 Lumens

Runtime – 2 hours

Beam Distance – 254 meters

In the time that I’ve used the Pelican 7060 LED I’ve really given it quite a workout. It’s been in the rain, sleet and snow. It’s been used in freezing conditions and while working on hot pavement. I’ve used it to wedge between vehicle cushions. I’ve used it to check a suspects pockets for weapons before putting my hand in there. I’ve dropped it down a flight of stairs. I’ve accidentally left in running for hours in my locker. And it may or may not have been used in self defense.This is a short list of the crap I’ve put this flashlight through. Despite all of it, the Pelican 7060 LED performed as it should. Which is why I decided to do a Pelican 7060 review.

There are only two negative features that I’ve personally experienced. The cordura holster that comes with the light leaves both switches exposed. When you sit in a car seat the light will sometimes come on, you won’t notice until you feel your back getting warm. Which brings me to the last negative feature. This thing gets pretty warm after extended uses. On the bright side, I have used it as a hand warmer more than once. Although I doubt that this was an intended feature. Neither one of these is really an issue. Most LED lights will get a little warm with extended use and better holsters are available. I just wanted to test it with the provided equipment.

The Pelican 7060 LED is incredibly durable. As I’ve mentioned, I put this thing through its paces. The only wear it shows are some scratches on the lens, and the paint is wearing of the metal part of the upper body of the light. All of which only adds character. One really nice feature is the dual switch. One switch is on the side of the light, the other is on the tail cap. You can turn the light on with the tail switch then off with the side button and visa versa.

In the field this light is truly a torch. The advertised beam distance of 254 meters is about right. I can say I’ve never been in a situation where this thing wasn’t bright enough. The beam has a fairly narrow focus with a lighter surrounding corona. The beam is adjustable, I like it as narrow as possible for most situations. This light is very popular with police officers, I personally know about fifteen other guys using it now, none with any complaints. There is also a momentary mode where you can depress the button half-way for short burst of light. You can control the brightness by either clicking the on switch once, or twice rapidly to control the brightness.

www.led-resource.com

The Pelican 7060 LED comes with the following items nicely packaged in a sturdy cardboard box: 1 Pelican 7060 LED flashlight, 1 battery pack (installed), 1 desk/dash mounted charger, 1 worldwide 50/60 Hz adapter, 1 cordura holster, and an instruction manual. All Pelican products also come with a lifetime warranty, although I doubt you’ll ever need it. The charger is mountable via two screw holes in the base. The 7060 is available with several other options listed below from the Pelican website.

6057F – 110V Transformer for Fast Charger
6061F – Direct Wiring Rig for Fast Charger
7052 – Traffic Wand (Orange or Yellow)
7060FBC – 7060 LED Fast Bank Charger (5 receptacles)
7069 – Replacement Rechargeable Battery Pack
7070 – Desk/Dash Charger Base Unit
7075 – Basket Weave Leather Holster for 7060 LED
7077 – Plain Leather Holster for 7060 LED
7078 – Cordura® Holster for 7060 LED
8056F – 12 V Plug-in for Fast Charger

 

One of the different holsters that cover the entire light will be preferable. Different options may be useful for you depending on your task. Another feature you’ll really like is the octagon shaped head piece of the light. The shape prevents the light from rolling on slight gradients like a car hood. The lens nut is beveled, when you place the light down face first on a flat surface, some light escapes through the grooves allowing you to work hands free. Finally, the grip is really nice. It’s squared texture and rough plastic surface make it easy to hold on to. You’ll find that while wearing gloves, the light is very easy to handle. The switches are big enough to manipulate with the decreased dexterity. Some have complained about the weight of the unit. I rather like the heft, I think it is a testament to its durability.

 

I hope this Pelican 7060 review has been helpful to you. If you need a heavy-duty light that can take a beating this one fits the bill. At around $130 with a lifetime warranty you can’t go wrong.

 

Posted in Product Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Glock 23 Review

Posted on February 6, 2012 by admin

www.tactical-life.com

Glock 23 Review

There is a myriad of options in today’s choice of defensive sidearms. One of the most successful manufacturers on the market today is Glock. This is my Glock 23 review.

 

The Glock 23 is a semi-automatic, striker fired pistol with a 13 round magazine capacity. My first experience with this pistol was 5 years ago when my police department issued me one. To be honest, I didn’t really care what pistol I would be issued as long as it was from a reputable manufacturer. My first impression was that it was a bit small and felt weird unloaded. Luckily, my opinion definitely changed after spending a significant amount of time behind it. I learned to like it so much, my friend encouraged me to do a Glock 23 review.

 

I didn’t buy this pistol, it was issued to me. Therefore I’ve done all I can do to wear this thing out because if it breaks, I’ll just get another one. In the time that I’ve carried it it’s been through about 10,000 rounds. It’s been in and out of several different holsters at least a thousand times. It’s been dropped, rained on, covered in sweat, etc. Through all of it, this pistol has continued to perform perfectly.

 

www.addictinginfo.org

I’ve learned to appreciate the Glock 23 for what it is, a service pistol. It’s nothing to write home to dad about. It’s not a finely tuned competition pistol with 3 moa accuracy at 100 yards. It’s a tool, just the same as a hammer or a stapler. It has become the only pistol I would choose to use on the street. As a police officer, I need a pistol that will without a doubt go bang when I need it to. I don’t care if it doesn’t look like a gorgeous custom 1911 or doesn’t have the accuracy of a Sig 220. With that said, let’s look a little farther into what makes the Glock 23 my pistol of choice.

 

Accuracy:

I put this category up first so I can just get it out of the way. Talking about accuracy in a pistol is a little like talking about handling in a transfer truck. It really doesn’t matter that much, it’s a pistol not a rifle. I need it to be able to hit a human torso at distances not to exceed 50 meters. Beyond that distance I can no longer responsibly fire a pistol round. I have to account for everything that comes out of my muzzle. Within pistol range this pistol will hit it’s mark as long as you do your part. It may not be able to put 3 rounds within a 2 inch circle at 25 meters, but neither can most shooters.

 

Ergonomics:

Most shooters will find that the ergonomics are good enough. You’re probably not going to find a Glock 23 review that raves about how this feels in the hand. You will get used to it after some time. I put a Hogue slip on grip adapter on it which made a world of difference. I have fairly large hands, without the slip on grip I found I had to readjust often during rapid fire drills.

 

Trigger:

If you know anything about pistol marksmanship you’ll know that trigger control is the most important aspect. The Glock trigger is good enough to do the job I suppose. It’s definitely something you’ll want to work with if you plan to do any competitive shooting with it. I’ve put enough rounds through my pistol that I’m just accustomed to it. There are lots of economical options out there if you want to upgrade the trigger.

 

Caliber:

This is a Glock 23 review more than a caliber review, but the pistol is chambered for the .40 S&W. Like you, I’ve read enough 9mm vs .45, .40 vs .45, and 9mm vs .40 reviews to make my eyes bleed. My opinion, like the accuracy debate, the debate over “stopping power” in a pistol is just a little dumb. Anything over 9mm will do the trick. If you want stopping power bring a long gun. What matters in pistol calibers is shot placement. This has been proven time after time to the dismay of gun guys the world over. The .40 round is more than ample, in terms of ballistics it has been shown to effectively disrupt the human body enough to stop an attacker. The Glock 23 holds 13 of them.

 

Price:

The average price for the Glock 23 is around $550. Most of the pistols that it competes with are almost double that price. To be honest, I don’t see how the other manufacturers justify selling pistols at extremely high prices when Glock sells them at a decent price. I’m sure the 350 pound obese guy at the gun store with the $2000 1911 on his hip will tell you otherwise, believe who you want.

 

Reliability:

What would a Glock 23 review be without talking about it’s reliability. Bear in mind, this applies for all Glock pistols. I’ll go out on a limb and say that Glock pistols are the most reliable handguns on the planet. There are some other handguns that come close, but nothing will top the Glock in this category. Like all tools, they will break occasionally. I work for a 300+ officer department, all are issued Glock 23′s. Broken pistols in my department are incredibly rare although I have seen trigger springs break. The Glock will not respond well to “limp wristing,” no semi-automatic pistol will. I have gotten my Glock 23 to fail to eject. This only happened to me once after a 6 hour range session. The pistol had digested about 1,000 rounds and piping hot. It just got so gunked up that the extractor didn’t get a positive engagement on the spent brass.

 

Conclusion:

www.gunswallpapers.com

My final Glock 23 review. An ugly plastic pistol that will go with you to hell and back. It’s like the Honda Civic of handguns. It’s nothing fancy but will get you home at the end of the day without fail. The price is reasonable. Maintain the weapon as you’re supposed to do with any weapon. The Glock prefers to be run a little dryer than other autos, a little oil goes a long way. There is a reason why something like 60% of police departments issue Glock pisols.

Posted in Product Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Police Misconduct

Posted on January 31, 2012 by admin

The issue of police misconduct is often portrayed as a national crisis in the United States. Countless groups and websites are devoted to policing the police. These groups would have you believe that the police are running rampant, beating and robbing people at will. If this were the case, it should be one of the main focuses of the leaders of our country. However the topic is not a main focus, is it a nationwide cover up? Or, does the media sensationalize rare events because it makes for a good story?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics there are approximately 883,600 law enforcement professionals in the US. This force serves a civilian population of over 311 million documented citizens. That means that around 0.2% of the American population is responsible for maintaining law and order.

Out of this number, the National Police Misconduct Statistics and Reporting Project found that 6613 police officers were accused of misconduct in the year 2010. This reflects that less than 1% of 883,600 police officers were even accused of misconduct. Out of that number, far less than half were actually found to actually be guilty of misconduct.

So why then, do we so often hear of police officers being accused of misconduct in the media? That’s because these events are actually so rare, so out of the norm, that they are news. They are events that news channels choose to air because just like tsunamis and earthquakes they are rare. No self-respecting news station would tell you about the hundreds of thousands of normal police encounters that happen every day.

To put things into perspective, medical doctors have an estimated rate of misconduct of 6%. This compared to less than 1% for law enforcement professionals. Police misconduct rates are also significantly lower than those of teachers and clergy. These statements aren’t meant in any way to demean these professions, only to denote the absolute rarity of instances of police misconduct.

Unfortunately police misconduct although rare, does happen. Despite the rigorous selection processes and extensive training the “bad apples” do reach the police ranks. When misconduct is confirmed, that officer should be immediately punished and removed from his position. There is no group of people in this country who is angered more at officers who misfit the uniform than the law enforcement community.

Another consideration that must be taken into account is who exactly is making these allegations. The vast majority of these complaints are filed by people who have just been arrested. Furthermore, these people typically have a long history with the criminal justice system including violence against the police. Put simply, if you don’t break the law, you are not likely to have a negative encounter with the police. If you do break the law, do what the police tell you to do. The police have a dangerous job; they’re not in a position to handle you like a baby if you’re trying to fight them. If you point a gun at a police officer, he’s likely to shoot you. If you try to run from the police, they will chase and catch you. These aren’t difficult ideas to comprehend.

Instances of police misconduct do occur, they are unfortunate and inexcusable. They are still exceptionally rare. The real danger is, and always has been, for the police officers. Every 54 hours a police officer dies in the line of duty, a police officer doing their job protecting those who don’t even know their name. Police officers run towards the sound of gunfire when everyone else runs away. The one consolable fact about this whole issue is that good, respectable citizens still appreciate the police. It’s not surprising that those who wish to do harm to society complain about the police.

Posted in Topics | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Is Probation Overused?

Posted on January 23, 2012 by admin

photo courtesy of coloradospringscriminallawblog.com

Probation is been a mainstay of criminal corrections for nearly two centuries. It is used today more frequently than ever in the prosecution of criminal offenders. Many crimes, including violent offenses, are concluded with the convicted walking out of the court room after being sentenced. This leaves many asking if probation is used to often when prison is the best option.

The concept of probation came about in the early 1800′s. At the time, prisons saw the same overpopulation issue that is commonly seen today. Governors were forced to issue mass pardons, literally just releasing convicted criminals in order to make room for new arrivals. Around the same time, English prison colonies in Australia began using a point based system to reduce sentences. Prisoners had their sentences reduced based on good behavior leading to what we currently know as the parole system. Nowadays, probation and parole are used in conjunction as alternate sentences. The goal is to reduce the time spent incarcerated, supervise the parole in the community, and to eliminate determined sentences as much as possible.

http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/probation defines probation as:

A sentence whereby a convict is released from confinement but is still under court supervision; a testing or a trial period. Probation can be given in lieu of a prison term or can suspend a prison sentence if the convict has consistently demonstrated good behavior.

The status of a convicted person who is given some freedom on the condition that for a specified period he or she act in a manner approved by a special officer to whom the person must report.

An initial period of employment during which a new, transferred, or promoted employee must show the ability to perform the required duties.

Probation is used today for exactly the same reason as it was used two centuries ago. Prisons in the United States are largely overcrowded. The prison population has quadrupled since the 1970′s. The United States currently has the largest prison population in the world. Even more populated countries like China lag far behind. Nearly two and a half times the amount of people in prison are on parole. The number currently stands at around five million people under supervised probation.

These staggering numbers point to the reason that probation and parole is so widely used today. Regardless of whether or not the convicted deserve to go to prison, the financial burden of imprisonment is huge. Currently, individual states spend approximately $50 billion dollars a year to house inmates! The federal government spends another $5 billion. It is plain to see why probation and parole are so widely used today. The United States simply cannot afford to house those who break our laws.

Is probation overused today? I would assert that it isn’t. Although we would all like to see violent offenders in jail where they belong, we must also consider the cost of imprisonment. Courts must use probation to alleviate the ongoing prison overpopulation problem. The real issue isn’t prison overpopulation, misdemeanor arrest law, or the use of probation. The real issue is why the citizens of the United States commit so many crimes. We enjoy the freedoms and standards of living unseen on the rest of the planet. The problem isn’t laws, law enforcement, prisons, or the court system. The problem is the American people. The good news, those interested in probation jobs will have unequaled opportunities for the foreseeable future.

Posted in Related | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Police Quotas

Posted on January 19, 2012 by admin

One of the biggest myths about law enforcement has to be the issue of police quotas. I’ve been asked more times than I can count about this. So, let’s clear the air, do police officers have quotas?

The easiest answer is no, police officers do not have quotas. Mainly because they can’t, numerous supreme court rulings have re-enforced this. The idea of telling a police officer that they must write a certain number of tickets, or make a certain number of arrest is absurd. An officer can’t make crimes happen, they exist to prevent and investigate them.

In the not to distant past, there was a good deal of debate about this issue in reference to the NYPD, and it’s alleged use of police quotas. While I will say that if the NYPD does use quotas they are in the wrong, it must also be understood that supervisors need ways to assess their employees.

Police work is highly autonomous. Once officers leave the station they are pretty much on their own for the rest of their shift. There isn’t a supervisor breathing down their neck the entire night. On slow days or nights, an officer could easily just park their cruiser and do nothing. This is obviously not what they’re being paid for. Citizens and supervisors want these officers out performing their duties to the expectations of the tax payers.

Usually, there is a form an officer has to turn in at the end of a month that demonstrates what they’ve done during that period. A police supervisor will want to see that the officer is devoting his or her time to enforcement or investigations. They will also want to see that the officer is well rounded in their duties. If an officer writes one hundred speeding tickets, but does nothing else, they’re not likely to receive an accolades for their work. If the same officer wrote five traffic tickets, closed a felony case, did foot patrol in the neighborhood park, and met with local business owners, they probably would get pat on the back.

The main point is, police supervisors need a way to see what their officers are doing during the month. The department, and the community want to know that the officer is performing their duties. There is nothing wrong with telling an officer that they need to do more traffic enforcement if the department is receiving complaints about speeding near a school for example. The line gets crossed if an officer is told they must issue a certain number of tickets or make a certain number of arrest.

If this line is crossed, it is clearly immoral and unethical. In modern law enforcement, this is a line that is simply not crossed. If that line does get crossed, the situation is remedied and reform is made to ensure it doesn’t happen again. Police professionalism and ethics are taught from the police academy to retirement. Before allegations are made, it needs to be understood that departments need to asses employees but know not to issue quotas.

This is not a myth that is likely to go away any time soon. I’ve heard this myth my entire life, it wasn’t until I entered the law enforcement profession that I knew this to be false. So one could deduce that the average American citizen will always assume this to be true. So are you more likely to get a ticket at the end of a given month? Not really, if you break traffic laws you’re likely to get a ticket at anytime of the month. Police quotas are a thing of the past.

Posted in Topics | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Real Forensics vs CSI

Posted on January 17, 2012 by admin

I always love television’s depiction of the police, especially police forensics. While always fun to watch, these shows are almost never realistic. I’ll admit I enjoy them as much as the next person. Still though, I feel the need to express how far from the truth modern police dramas are.

Common sense would tell you that the public understands that these shows are for entertainment. As we all know, common sense never really prevails. I was recently speaking to a few friends who are currently working in the “CSI” era of law enforcement forensics. After hearing story after story of unrealistic expectations asked of the police by citizens followed by “but on CSI they…” I decided to post this article.

I’m well aware of what they do on CSI, so is every police officer you come into contact with. I’m aware that on the show they drive cool cars, have really cool software that can make a grainy surveillance tape look amazing, and wear really great outfits. The writers of the show have apparently never actually seen a surveillance tape. My goal is not to point out what is wrong about the show; I think it’s a great. My point is to let you know what the police actually can, and will do with crime scene forensics.

Law enforcement has some amazing tools and techniques that can be utilized to aid in solving a crime. They have incredible digital forensics capabilities, satellites, DNA sequencing, strand fiber analysis, etc. All of these things can be brought to bear if the situation arises. There does of course have to be a need, or more importantly, a justification. Because what you don’t see on television is the huge cost, both in money and in manpower.

The US Department of Justice estimates that the cost of DNA sequencing for a single case is approximately $4,502 for the test alone. That doesn’t include how much it cost to pay the forensics specialist performing the test. To put it into perspective, the full cost of a fingerprint analysis is around $7,500 dollars! That includes of course the cost in manpower. Now multiply those numbers by tens of thousands per state by year. I’m not going to get into the cost of satellite imaging or cell phone tracing.

Furthermore, virtually every state lab has a massive evidence backlog. This is due to the sheer amount of high priority cases that submit evidence to the state labs for processing. It’s not unheard of for it to take up to six months to get results back from a lab.

Here’s a real life story, a woman calls the police because someone threw a rock through her living room window. The police arrive and the golf ball sized rock is lying right there amongst the glass where it landed. The caller is understandably upset, someone could’ve gotten hurt! Not to mention the cost of replacement, and the sheer nonsense of it all. The officer takes the report and instructs her on how to notify her insurance company. He tells her he’ll have a look around to see if he can figure out who did it. On his way out the woman asks him why he isn’t going to take the rock as evidence, “there could be fingerprints on it.”

I course she has no idea about the cost, or the evidence backlog, or the fact that more than likely no viable prints are coming off that chunk of granite. All she knows is she saw it on CSI.

 

Posted in Related | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Law Enforcement Opportunites

Posted on January 14, 2012 by admin

Photo courtesy of news.xinhuanet.com

One of the best things about law enforcement, for those interested in it as a career, is the sheer diversity it offers. You can enter into the field in a number of ways, once you’re in, the doors open wide in reference to opportunities.

I’ve written elsewhere on this site about the different ways to get law enforcement jobs. What I’d like to do in this article is explain what jobs you can look forward to once you get hired. Local departments have the widest range of job descriptions. You will start off working in a patrol officer function. This is an important aspect about law enforcement at the local level. You’ll need to learn your jurisdiction, the people, and the types of crimes you’ll be investigating before you can move up. In medium to large departments, you can expect to do a minimum of three to five years as a patrol officer.

After you complete this initial period you can begin to decided what type of cop you want to be. By this point, you will have attended tons of training and made many arrest. You’ll know by then what you’re good at, and what you like to do. If you’re interested in investigations, you can apply for a position as a detective. If you like the tactical side of the job, maybe SWAT will be what’s best for you. You could also get involved in forensics, K9, and school resources to name a few. Some however, find that the patrol function is what they want to continue doing. There is something else you should know about law enforcement patrol. You’ll find that in the way of excitement and job diversity, the patrol function is best. You will never know on any given day what types of things you’ll be involved in. In the other arenas of the field, you’ll be more restricted in what you do. Detectives who deal with juveniles, deal with juveniles almost exclusively, the same goes for burglary detectives, etc.

If you want to know about law enforcement opportunities available to you, be sure to check the perspective department’s website. Most of them will have a portion of their site devoted to informing potential recruits about what fields are available. If you want to be a school resources officer, be sure the department offers that as a position. Don’t assume that every department will have the same fields available.

In general, law enforcement at the state and federal level will not have the same number of fields that local departments will. In the state police, the primary function is patrolling the highways that span many local state jurisdictions. There are investigative positions, but are generally much harder to get into. This is because the position is not as in demand as those at local levels.

When learning about law enforcement, take the time to learn all aspects of the field. Know what types of jobs will be available to you. In the near future, I will add more information covering the huge ranges of opportunities available to a law enforcement professional.

Posted in Related | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Job Outlook

Posted on January 9, 2012 by admin

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job growth for the field of law enforcement is expected to be about average until the year 2018. This means that the field is expected to grow between 7% and 13%.
Furthermore, layoffs are expected to be less than what has been recently seen in other career fields. Although law enforcement agencies are prone to budget cuts like any other type of organization, job cuts are usually handled naturally through attrition. As officers retire, departments may eliminate that position by removing it from their open hiring list. This in theory, allows them to keep officers already on staff, and hire new recruits.
In our current economy, all fields of employment are somewhat challenging to break into right now. Law enforcement is no different but the opportunities are there. State and federal agencies will usually be more competitive, this is usually because these agencies are better known, and because they receive a higher number of applications. Agencies with more exposure like the FBI receive a mind numbing amount of applications. Therefore, they are able to be very picky when it comes to choosing new employees. Local departments in urban areas also receive a high number of applications. However, only a small amount of these are even remotely eligible. Departments must weigh the number of applications against the number of officers they need to hire. Because of this, you will have a better chance with a department in urban areas if you are a qualified applicant.
As I’ve mentioned elsewhere on this site, applying to multiple agencies at once will help you find law enforcement jobs. In response to a question I get asked often, applying to multiple places at once doesn’t make you look bad to each department. It could be assumed that it makes you look like you want any job, with any department. While this may be true to some extent, I would assert that most departments know you’re looking for a job in this field because you simply want to be a law enforcement professional. They understand that the hiring process is competitive, and that most applicants will be applying to multiple agencies.
One thing you should know, if you go through the process with a department, especially the polygraph examination, and don’t get hired, you will likely have to notify the next department you apply for. At that point, all information gathered about you by the other agency will be available to the new one. So if you go around failing polygraph examinations you will be hurting your chances more and more with different agencies.
As always, feel free to ask questions in the comment section. Also, if there is something you’re looking for and don’t see it here, let me know so I can get it up. Happy hunting!

Posted in Related | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment