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Interesting Information about Handcuffs
Sizes
They
typically feature a ratchet-action to facilitate
quick application, and to adjust for various wrist sizes. Oversized
handcuffs are available from a number of manufacturers, as are
juvenile-sized restraints, though none of the latter in current
production are approved for use by the U.S. National Institute of
Justice.
Styles
There
are metal handcuffs, in carbon steel, stainless
steel, and aluminum, polymer handcuffs, and lightweight plastic
disposable ones.There are two distinct subtypes of contemporary metal
handcuffs — one in which the cuffs are held together by a
short
chain (most commonly consisting of two links), while the other, of more
recent origin, uses a hinge for this purpose.
Since
the hinged
handcuffs are somewhat smaller when fully extended they are seen as
being more easily utilized by an officer who has relatively small
hands, and are also regarded by some observers as more secure because
the wrists end up being held closer together than with the chain
subtype, and are also bound more rigidly.
A
third type, the rigid handcuff, has a metal block or
bar between the cuffs. Whilst bulkier to carry it permits several
variations in cuffing and, with one hand cuffed, can be used in control
and restraint techniques. Various accessories are available to improve
the security or increase the rigidity of handcuffs, including boxes
that fit over the chain or hinge and can themselves be locked with a
padlock.
Sometimes
two pairs of handcuffs are needed to restrain a
person with an exceptionally large waistline because the hands cannot
be brought in sufficient proximity to each other; in this scenario, one
cuff on one pair of handcuffs is handcuffed to one of the cuffs on the
other pair, and then the remaining open handcuff on each pair is
applied to the person's wrists.
Plasticuffs
Plastic
restraints, known as PlastiCuffs, or FlexiCuffs,
flex-cuffs, tri-fold cuffs, or zip-strips, are lightweight, disposable
plastic strips resembling electrical cable ties. They can be carried in
large quantities by soldiers and police and are therefore well-suited
for situations where many may be needed, such as during large-scale
protests.
In recent years, airlines began to carry plastic handcuffs as
a way to restrain disruptive passengers. Disposable restraints are
considered by many to be highly cost-inefficient; they cannot be
loosened, and must be cut off to permit a restrained subject to be
fingerprinted, or to attend to bodily functions.
It
is not unheard of for a single subject to receive
five or more sets of disposable restraints in their first few hours in
custody. Recent products have been introduced that serve to address
this concern, including disposable plastic restraints that can be
opened or loosened with a key.
More expensive than conventional plastic
restraints, they can only be used a very limited number of times, and
are not as strong as conventional disposable restraints, let alone
modern metal handcuffs. In addition, plastic restraints are believed by
many to be more likely to inflict nerve or soft-tissue damage to the
wearer than metal handcuffs.
History
In
former times, police officers typically handcuffed
arrested persons with their hands in front of them, but since
approximately the mid-1960s behind-the-back handcuffing has been the
standard. The vast majority of police academies in the United States
today also teach their recruits to apply handcuffs so that the palms of
the suspect's hands face outward after the handcuffs are applied.
The
Jacksonville, Florida Police Department and the Los Angeles County
Sheriff's office are notable exceptions, as they favor palms-together
handcuffing. In addition, suspects are handcuffed with the keyholes
facing up (away from the hands) to make it difficult to open them even
with a key or improvised pick.
Leg
irons
On
occasions when a suspect exhibits extremely
aggressive behavior, leg irons may be used as well; sometimes the chain
connecting the leg irons to one another is looped around the chain of
the handcuffs, and then the leg irons are applied, resulting in the
person being "hog-tied.
"
In a few rare cases, hog-tied persons lying on
their stomachs have died from positional asphyxia making the practice
highly controversial, and leading to its being severely restricted, or
even completely banned, in many localities.
Keys
Most
modern handcuffs in Canada, the United States and
the United Kingdom can be opened with the same standard universal
handcuff key. This allows for easier transport of prisoners and keeps
you out of trouble if you lose your keys.
However,
there are handcuff
makers who use keys based on different standards. Maximum security
handcuffs require special keys. Handcuff keys do not generally work
with thumbcuffs. Recently, a number of padlocks have been marketed
which use this same standard key.
Choose
from handcuffs, thumbcuffs, and leg cuffs.
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