The Los Angeles Police Department has unveiled a new flashlight designed specifically for their department by southern California based Pelican Products. Over $1,000,000 has been spent to date for the procurement of this new tool. The amazing fact about this flashlight is that the design was prompted by the need to protect civilians from overzealous police officers who, in the past, have used them to beat the citizens they are charged with protecting. Police Chief William J. Bratton of the LAPD really believes that this new tool will help protect us all from the protectors.

Since 2002 there have been over 50 incidents in which the department’s previous flashlight, a 13 inch long metal cased model, was used in attacks on citizens. Recently a $450,000 award was paid to beating victim Stanley Miller. In a highly publicized case that was caught on camera by television news crews, Mr. Miller was held down by officers while being struck 11 times with an officer’s flashlight as punishment for attempting to flee. The officers involved were not prosecuted for their crimes.

Now to me this whole expensive mess seems silly. While the new flashlight appears to be a better tool because of its lighter weight and the added feature of being able to produce a blinding light to daze suspects, it seems absurd to think we will be safer because one potential tool-turned-weapon is removed from the reach of out of control officers. I predict the brutality will continue but other weapons will be used in place of the flashlight. I am sure we will see a rise in the number of Taser attacks as the old flashlights are replaced.

I personally do not see a problem with an officer that is faced with a violent suspect using his flashlight as a weapon. I would much rather see someone cracked in the head with a Maglite then shot in the head with a .40 caliber Glock. It is the cases such as Miller's in which the tools given to officers are misused that we need to prevent. The officers that beat Miller would have done it with or without a flashlight.

What we need is prosecutors that will prosecute these despicable cops.We also need honest officers that will not tolerate violence from their coworkers. We need cops that actually take their job seriously and are willing to protect us even from themselves. We need the leadership (Chief Bratton are you listening down there in LA?) to stand up and demand that the prosecutors do their job and file charges against corrupt cops.

Pelican CEO Lyndon Faulkner has reported that his company has already signed contracts with other law enforcement agencies throughout the United States to supply them with the new flashlight dubbed the Pelican 7060.