Seat-belting prisoners

[DAL]

I assume everyone uses seat belts whenever transporting a prisoner without a cage, but it seems that officers are lax about using seat belts when prisoners are seated behind a partition (in a cage).

For those of you who have cages in your patrol cars, how often do you seat-belt the prisoner in?

[Retired96]

Back in 1978 one of our units was transporting a prisoner in the back seat not belted in, they got into a accident. The prisoner got his face waffled on the metal cage and had some serious face injuries. The Deputy driving got some serious time off and the prisoner got a good chunk of the counties money.

[Monkeybomb]

Always unless they are very combative. Then they get spithooded and legs strapped down.

[chiefcop]

I most always seatbelt them in, unless they are combative and this will cause a risk to me. i don't really like getting headbutted, it gives me a head ache.

[LeanG]

It's in our policy. Basically, if we don't and we're in an accident our department will frown heavily on us.

[LA DEP]

We must seatbelt accord to policy (as Retired96 posted).....if we get into an accident and the suspect gets 'screen tested', then you have some explaining to do.....

[kw74]

Always per policy. That being said an officer I work with did not take it as a clue when a prisoner kept un-seatbelting himself in a non cage car with the windows unlocked... The prisoner escaped when the officer was searching his car incident to arrest and shenanigans ensued that almost ended with me shooting the escapee. Got to love cleaning up someone else mess.

[DAL]

We must seatbelt accord to policy (as Retired96 posted)....

But that does not mean deputies actually do it.

[Retired96]

Seat belting a prisoner can also be hazardous to your health. Backed a CHP unit one night that had arrested a female DUI. When he went to buckle her in, she leaned forward and bit him on the left cheek and wouldn't let go. I ran to the passenger side and introduced her head to my kel-lite flashlight.. She let go, the CHP Officer had a nice chunk of his cheek missing and the female ended up with about 20 stitches in her head. That taught me a lesson to never get too close when belting in a prisoner.

[LA DEP]

But that does not mean deputies actually do it.

True....but just like every other policy, you will get burned if you get caught violating it......in the case of the seatbelting a suspect, that would USUALLY only be if you got into a collision, and the suspect bounced off the cage......

BUT, if you happen to have a supervisor that gets a wild hair about things, you could also get dinged if he/she sees you transporting w/o seatbelting the suspect

[tutt101]

The only policy we have regarding seat belts tell us, and all “front seat” passengers to wear them, absolutely nothing about prisoners.
I’m sure it’s not the wisest thing, but I never do unless the prisoner asks for it, which has only happened, I think, twice. None of my FTO’s did and I just never started.

[Guest]

It is in our policy to do so but i can not tell you the name of one person who seat belts any prisoner. I never have and i wont for officer saftey reasons. Unless they make a safer way to do i an not jeopardizing my saftey for some idiot in the back.

[LAschoolCop]

Always unless my suspect is too fat...seatbelt would not reach that far!

[david30816]

Depends on what car I have.

Some of our cars have the normal backseat where they click in on the suspects hip and some of them have seat belts that they click in up by their shoulder.

If I have a car that clicks in by their shoulder, always. If not, never.

[LE2BE]

I would say about 50% of the time... Like LADEP, our policy says "we shall" seatbelt all prisoners or passengers. If the prisoner gives any sign of not going along with the program.. ie.. verbal, physical... then he will get belted in 100% of the time. I guess we get a little complacent because we have two man units with plexi-glass partitions.

With a two man unit you can have your passenger come in from the opposing side, while you hand him the belt. That way nobody gets bitten, and we lesson the danger.

I do know of a few Officers that have tested their brakes while transporting excessively verbal prisoners. If the prisoner is going to beef you... you might as well earn it