Handcuffs; more than 100 years with little change

In the world of law enforcement, we hear a great deal about guns, tasers, pepper spray, vests and most recently body cameras. Law Enforcement officers carry a great deal of items on their vest and duty belt while on duty and each one has a purpose.

Each one has been improved upon multiple times and are always being updated, except for one very important item that is used daily — handcuffs. Next to a deputy’s radio, they will use their handcuffs more than any other item on their duty belt.

I was recently in a training class where the instructor asked for everyone to raise their hand if they had used their handcuffs within the last 24 hours and almost every hand in the room went up. Asked if they had used their taser or pepper spray in the last 24 hours, only a few hands remained in the air.

Over the years, agencies have replaced their government issued handgun multiple times as each new model has new benefits that are considered “better” for the deputy to carry. Over the years guns have become lighter, carry more bullets, and have night sights that help acquire a target in the dark. The holster that carries the gun has also been improved with level II, and then level III retention being added to them for the purpose of making it harder for someone to remove it from the holster. Each item on the duty belt has been improved upon multiple times over the years, but the handcuffs carried by officers all over the world are basically the same design and have the same function they had when they were created.

Some type of handcuff has been used as far back as we can tell, but the first ratcheting handcuff that could be placed on any size of wrist quickly was created by W.V. Adams in 1862. This would be the first set of handcuffs that appear somewhat like we have today, but they would be improved to include a “double lock” in 1879, and the last major change to handcuffs took place in 1912 when George Carney invented the “swing cuff” that allowed the cuff to turn on the chain.

Although there have been some minor changes since that date, the overall function of the handcuffs has not changed in more than 100 years.

During a recent training class on security issues involving transporting inmates and those who have just been arrested, multiple criminal cases were reviewed involving law enforcement officers that were killed (most of them with their own gun) after the inmate being transported was able to remove their handcuffs. This did not used to be such an issue, but now that anyone can access the Internet, most inmates have some knowledge of how to remove handcuffs with a number of small items that can be easily found and hidden on their person.

During this class, I watched a man take his eye glasses from his face, bend them up and use them as a pick to remove his handcuffs in a matter of seconds. They use paper clips, small pieces of plastic taken from tooth brushes, pens, games … etc. It is alarming how many stories a person can find that involved people escaping from custody after being arrested or transported between prisons or jails and getting their hand cuffs and leg chains off.

I am not sure why the development in the use of restraints has not made better progress, but we will definitely be looking into added security measures that can be taken to help prevent this type of incident from ever occurring on our watch.

The threat may appear to be over once the perpetrator is taken into custody, but in reality, the threat is never over. We must make sure we are constantly reviewing our security procedures and ensure they will provide the best protection for the citizens of Vernon County.