"Will you loosen these cuffs?"

[BBM]

I hear that question being asked a lot on COPS and sometimes the answer varies. I was wondering if you all will do it for the suspect or not. Will you do it if they are cooperative and haven't tried to resist? Will you still do it if they tried to resist you?

Also, how tight/loose are you allowed to handcuff someone? Are there any standards on this?

Thanks for your time

[sob153]

I don't need to loosen them because I put them on right the first time
As long as you can put your pinky between the cuff and the wrist (Double locked so they can't say I put it tight after they were moving in the rear seat).

[Garbage Man]

Ill check them but usually they are fine. If I see they are too tight I loosen them...Usually I just tell the guy "Look, its flesh Vs. Metal, not gonna get comfortable."

Another handcuff too tight thing is that the cuffs are oval shaped to match a persons wrist. If you twist your oval wrist inside the oval handcuff then the fatest part of your wrist is between the smallest part of the cuff...and the thin part of the oval is the part I cant expand...So they need to stop squirming and leave the cuffs the way I put them on.

[CityCopDC]

I hear that question being asked a lot on COPS and sometimes the answer varies. I was wondering if you all will do it for the suspect or not. Will you do it if they are cooperative and haven't tried to resist? Will you still do it if they tried to resist you?

Also, how tight/loose are you allowed to handcuff someone? Are there any standards on this?

Thanks for your time

Never never never. Only time I will loosen the cuffs is if it was doing a struggle and I had to hurry and cuff the suspect. If the cuffs are visibly to tight, I will only loosen them if other officers are around.

[Sheepdog132]

Nope tell them they are new they will stretch.

[GroundPounder01]

I will check and see if there has been any swelling of the wrists, but even after a struggle I check even when I havent been asked by the suspect. There are several reasons along with the whole "complaining" aspect. Working the detention center, and having many brought in where the cuffs are on really tight, or were not tight when they were first put on, its a pain for the deputy removing them, when they are too tight or bound up. If it doesnt allow the wrist to slip, then it doesnt hurt to make sure they are on securely!

[Darcimus]

If his hands aren't turning blue or they haven't cut into the skin then there's nothing wrong. They're not meant to feel like silk ropes, people.

[Linkshinter]

I agree with sob153, if you put them on the right way in an everyday arrest situation where they aren't resisting, it's too bad for them.

Loosening the cuffs after a fight however is sometimes necessary...I know I've put some cuffs on that probably bruised a wrist during a fight because I "slapped" them on too hard...


Now, keep in mind the cuffs can be used as a tool to get information too though. Taking the cuffs off in a SECURE environment can get you some cooperation.

Again though, never remove or loosen the cuffs while you are alone, things can get out of hand very quickly and suddenly the bad guy has a metal thing to hit you with now...

[Nightshift va]

I hear that question being asked a lot on COPS and sometimes the answer varies. I was wondering if you all will do it for the suspect or not. Will you do it if they are cooperative and haven't tried to resist? Will you still do it if they tried to resist you?

Also, how tight/loose are you allowed to handcuff someone? Are there any standards on this?

Thanks for your time

They are not built for comfort is the line I usually use, however Iam human and know how uncomfortable they can get especially after transport even if double locked they seem to shift so I will atleast reposition them if not loosen them a tooth or two. It also depends on the amount of time they are on, if the magistrate takes all day or it's and extended detention I will try and make it more comfortable, sometimes if I have a large individual I'll even use an extra set of cuffs. However, if i had to fight someone in cuffs short of drawing blood and sometimes even in that case I revert back to my original line of "they aren't built for comfort" and do not adjust them at all.

[MPDCjock]

I never loosen them. They aren't made for comfort.

[tzbv2p]

I always check them....sometimes loosen them. (not for their comfort though....but to make sure circulation isn't cuff off) If they stop moving around, it won't hurt so bad.

[10-41]

I will not loosen them after a subject is in custody. As previously mentioned, I put them on correctly in the first place. Before I tighten them I always try to make sure their aligned properly. Sometimes people *** up when you try to cuff them, and you get them cuffed anyway you can. If this is the case, then they deserve to have tight cuffs. I had one thug ask to go to the hospital b/c as he put it "I can't feel my wristeses." He was only delaying the inevitable. And I always mention in my reports that the suspect was placed in double locked cuffs, behind their back and checked for tightness.

[BBM]

I have another question about the same subject, I hope you all don't mind.


What about with female suspects? Will you slap the cuffs on a bit loose because they're a female? or will you slap them on the same tightness as the men?

[SmallCityCop]

When I first handcuff a suspect, I make it as tight as I need to or feel, basically, I "speed cuff" them to get them under my control. At the station, in a secure environment, with my weapon secured in the lockers, if I feel they need to be loosened, then I will loosen them. THey usually get uncuffed prior to being placed in aholding cell. Then they get recuffed on the way to the IPC.

[Fuzz]

I have another question about the same subject, I hope you all don't mind.


What about with female suspects? Will you slap the cuffs on a bit loose because they're a female? or will you slap them on the same tightness as the men?

I have found that women are more successful at slipping out of cuffs because of their build so I may actually have them a bit tighter. I will always check ONE time when a prisoner says they are too tight so that I can CYA if their is a future problem. They are double locked so they cant move so I do not check them again and tell them they are not made for comfort and to stop moving because that is what usually causes them to hurt.