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Thread: Times gone by questions For Peace Officers of 70s?

  1. #51
    Site Supporter LtDave's Avatar
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    Feb 2011
    Location
    Central AZ
    My first belt carried light was a Laser Products 6P, before they became SureFire. It was eventually replaced by a rechargeable Streamlight Stinger when those first became available. Both were backups for my SL20, which I carried as my primary light until retirement in 2005. The department eventually issued Stingers to everyone. When I started in the late ‘70s, The issue flashlight was a cheap plastic 2 “D” cell piece of crap. When we moved to a new station in 1994, all the lockers had electric outlets to charge the flashlights.
    The first indication a bad guy should have that I'm dangerous is when his
    disembodied soul is looking down at his own corpse wondering what happened.

  2. #52
    Quote Originally Posted by LtDave View Post
    When I started in the late ‘70s, The issue flashlight was a cheap plastic 2 “D” cell piece of crap. .
    Same here in the late 80s, a plastic two cell Eveready. I still have it, unused, so I can turn it in later this year.

  3. #53
    Member Rock185's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Location
    The Great Southwest, under the Tonto Rim
    I just came across this thread. I started in LE in Arizona in '73. Arizona didn't have a concealed carry permit system till '93 IIRC, but open carry has been legal as long as I can remember. I can'y say concealed carry was "tolerated" in those days, but don't recall concealed carry prior to permits being a hot topic in LE. Of course, when armed bad guys were arrested, they were charged with CCW along with whatever other charges there might have been.

    Since some of us are reminiscing a bit, on our Dept. we were all issued revolvers back in those days, mostly S&W model 10s, with the occasional Colt, Official Police I believe they were. Detectives were issued S&W model 60s. Our Rangemaster was a died-in-the-wool revolver guy. Holsters were issued, and were some old style with a strap and snap. Slow, and not really secure in foot chases. Guns did fall out. All uniform pants had a sap pocket, but I never carried one. Somebody could get hurt with those things Uniforms had plenty of brass, as did our duty belts. We carried ammo in dump pouches. First time a guy on my squad showed up in briefing with a Safariland brass-less gun belt and speedloaders, he was sent home. It was like the Dept. thought he was some kind of radical trouble maker. We were issued 2D cell type flash lights, with a big box of loose D-cell batteries always in the briefing room for any that needed them. Which was pretty much every day. This was before alkaline, rechargeable, etc. batteries, and halogen and high intensity LED bulbs. Our old flashlights, with fresh batteries, would look practically like a dim candle compared to LE flashlights carried now. We did not have portable radios. When we did get portables, there was only one issued per squad. We started getting in-car computers about '82-'83 IIRC. NEVER thought I'd see the day, but 9MM semi-autos were approved as "primary" weapons along about '86-'87 IIRC. There were two or three manufactures approved, SIG, S&W and Beretta I think. But all I ever saw carried were SIG 226s, before the Glocks started being issued around '93. At some point we were issued soft body armor, but few wore it in the summertime. Later in my career, I wore SBA religiously. Now, OMG, officers can have red-dots on their Glocks, which of course also have rails and weapon lights, etc. It's almost like Star Wars stuff to me now days.......
    Last edited by Rock185; 01-24-2020 at 02:20 AM.

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