Complaints against officers

[Fedster + 1,307]

Policing community astonished over continued use of old-fashioned kit.

Officer revealed on social media some were still using Chubb and chain handcuffs

Sussex Police is the only force still using dated chain and Chubb handcuffs, Police Oracle can reveal.

Officers were in disbelief on social media when discovering the force opted for the “outdated” model until very recently with many saying they have been using rigid handcuffs since the 1990s.

 

 

Our reporter contacted every force in England and Wales asking which type of handcuffs their officers use with all confirming rigid or hinged.

Two months ago Sussex Police begun rigid cuff training with a full rollout expected to take another year.

A force spokesman said the decision was taken after the benefits were realised – giving officers increased control over detainees as well as being easier and quicker to put on.

However, it did not provide an answer as to why it had only just decided to introduce the new cuffs.

Simon Steele, secretary of the Sussex Police Federation, told Police Oracle he thinks the force's reluctance to adopt them could be down to potential personal injury claims.

He said: “I am surprised it has only just started to bring them in as so many other forces have had them for many years.

“I think it is down to trying to avoid potential personal injury claims against the force and it was taking a cautious approach because rigid cuffs are perceived to involve a greater risk of injury.”

He added there have been complaints previously with officers wondering why they were still being supplied with chain cuffs due to their impracticalities.

“Anything that helps with officers restraining offenders is welcomed," he said. “The chain handcuffs were awkward to use at times and I think the rigid cuffs give a greater element of control over the suspect.

“The changes are positive steps. We have had many rumblings with officers in the past with them asking why haven’t they got the rigid cuffs yet.”

Disadvantages include the chain allowing too much movement and if not fitted properly, detainees stand a chance freeing their hands from the cuffs.

A force spokesman said: “Training on rigid cuffs started in June this year and the roll-out is expected to take up to a year.

“It will apply to all officers and chain cuffs will be gradually withdrawn as the training is carried out. Training is being done during routine regular personal safety training for all officers, and for all new recruits.”

View On Police Oracle

[Indiana Jones + 1,082]

What a non story. I'd prefer chain cuffs. Less likely to get bent by a strong DP.

[Sceptre + 2,701]

48 minutes ago, Indiana Jones said:

What a non story. I'd prefer chain cuffs. Less likely to get bent by a strong DP.

How often does that actually happen though? I can only think of one person who managed to bend a pair of cuffs, and even they they still worked well enough even if they wouldn't backload afterwards. To my mind rigid cuffs are much more versatile; stacking, more effective takedowns, ease of use - about the only downside is storing them.

[MajorDisaster + 579]

8 minutes ago, Sceptre said:

How often does that actually happen though? I can only think of one person who managed to bend a pair of cuffs, and even they they still worked well enough even if they wouldn't backload afterwards. To my mind rigid cuffs are much more versatile; stacking, more effective takedowns, ease of use - about the only downside is storing them.

I had a pair of rigid cuffs bent totally out of shape by a very strong Polish lad.  Took ages to get them off and they were totally u/s afterwards.  Big strong boy - thankfully he was so full of vodka that he wasn't too much of a handful.

[Radman + 2,163]

I was always told that chain cuffs had a tendency to break in the middle as the chain was the weak point.

A strong D/P could often snap them...

I remember some of the older cops telling me how rubbish they were when I first joined... BTP apparently used to issue S&W cuffs though.

I personally would rather carry a second set of either hinged or even chain when single crewed at my station - the my early years of joining on more than one occasion I found myself arresting two suspects having only one set of cuffs waiting for back up from either locals or BTP, the latter being 30+ minutes away if available at all.

Edited August 10, 2018 by Radman

[Policey_Man + 765]

Lots of Met officers still use chain link cuffs as a second pair, of when doing plain clothes ops. Whilst they aren't the mainstream choice of cuffs, they are still available and there is specific training packages from officer safety trainers to allow for their use.

I therefore suspect the story is inaccurate, perhaps not due to the reporter or Police Oracle, but that's what happens when admin departments with limited knowledge of frontline policing answer FOI requests.

[Straker + 5]

ASP (the brand Sussex were previously using according to the twitter pic) make a folding hinged cuff that locks rigid when opened. Uses a cuff key to unlock and fold back down. Although the first batch did have some issues with being very easily snapped at the hinge apparently. I have a vague memory of PSNI using them?

I'm kind of surprised that forces went straight to rigid cuffs in the 90's and didn't experiment with hinged instead. Most of the OST moves developed for rigid cuffs were nicked from US agencies who used folding hinged cuffs (the hinged bit makes an effective lever once opened). 

Always found it weird that historically only one set of cuffs was issued. I can understand it with rigid cuffs they are huge on a belt compared to a couple of folding sets. 

[Hades + 1,693]

6 hours ago, Indiana Jones said:

What a non story. I'd prefer chain cuffs. Less likely to get bent by a strong DP.

They dont offer anywhere near the control that rigid cuffs do  though and you can't do takedowns with them etc.  That said, they aren't training takedowns in their roll out with the initial training!

2 hours ago, Straker said:

ASP (the brand Sussex were previously using according to the twitter pic) make a folding hinged cuff that locks rigid when opened. Uses a cuff key to unlock and fold back down. Although the first batch did have some issues with being very easily snapped at the hinge apparently. I have a vague memory of PSNI using them?

Sussex use ASP and Chubbs.  The ASPs are the newer issued ones but if you google you'll see that they're unreliable and easily escapable - which is quite a concern, nobody likes them! 

[Jeebs + 1,190]

On 10/08/2018 at 23:52, Straker said:

ASP (the brand Sussex were previously using according to the twitter pic) make a folding hinged cuff that locks rigid when opened. Uses a cuff key to unlock and fold back down. Although the first batch did have some issues with being very easily snapped at the hinge apparently. I have a vague memory of PSNI using them?

I'm kind of surprised that forces went straight to rigid cuffs in the 90's and didn't experiment with hinged instead. Most of the OST moves developed for rigid cuffs were nicked from US agencies who used folding hinged cuffs (the hinged bit makes an effective lever once opened). 

Always found it weird that historically only one set of cuffs was issued. I can understand it with rigid cuffs they are huge on a belt compared to a couple of folding sets. 

PSNI issued folding rigid cuffs, a contradiction in terms if there ever was one. These were made by TCH and folded in the middle but locked out to form a set of rigid cuffs. ASP folding rigid cuffs were briefly trialled and found to be seriously lacking, as they are mainly made of polymer, with a metal cuff bar and some reinforcing being the only exception.

The ASP cuffs were dumped and a return has been made to TCH folding rigid cuffs, however the improved model with multiple keyholes.