Handcuffs – a useful way to restrain
All you will possibly know about handcuffs is that police officers carry them. That was all I knew until I did a little digging.
You would be forgiven for thinking a handcuff is just a handcuff. People such as ordinary Joe public have little use for such things as any type of handcuffs. Of course, the police do have use for such things. In fact, they use them on a regular basis, and indeed, they are pretty standard issue duty gear. The use of any kind of restraint will be as a last resort but officers still have to carry handcuffs and use them from time to time. Only with threat of violence or escape would an officer use handcuffs on a suspect.
handcuffs have a very long and a somewhat barbaric history. Many years ago, handcuffs were used as methods of torture or punishment as well as a method of restraint. With such a bad history, it’s no wonder that modern police officers are reluctant to use them. There are still valid reasons for the use of handcuffs, but it is only normally justified when a person poses a threat to themselves or others. Although the design of handcuffs has changed over time, their purpose has always been to restrain a person. Of course the restraint is protection to the officers themselves and that is very important.
handcuffs are made from various materials today, and they can be stainless steel, Aluminum, Carbon steel and of course plastic. There are also a variety of designs, each offering something different dependant on circumstances. Police have to be trained in the use of handcuffs so that they are used safely and with little chance of injury to those wearing them. The handcuffs themselves are all manufactured to high standards and with specific purpose in mind. There are the basic everyday models of cuffs and there are also those designed with say high-risk prisoner transportation in mind.
Many designs of handcuffs have been manufactured to ensure prisoner safety and they have also been approved by the National institute of Justice. An officer will not use handcuffs unless it is strictly necessary. Some police departments have long, lengthy instructions on not only the safe use of handcuffs but guidance on when to use them and on whom. In some states no there is no distinction made on cuffing one sex over another, all suspects will be handcuffed in the same way. A handcuffed prisoner is still a danger to an officer and they can still escape or lash out with feet.
Restraint is not a pleasant thing either for the person suffering it or the officer having to carry it out. However, in today’s world, the handcuffs used by police are a necessary evil and they do offer a lot of protection to officers and the public in general. Whilst debates rage on whether the use of handcuffs should be legal/illegal/banned or other, they remain a standard issue item in many states for officers. With the correct training and the best possible versions of handcuffs; they are a valuable tool in the officer’s arsenal of fighting crime.
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