Handcuffing Tips

d) Checking for Tightness

It is the juncture of the bones of the forearm with the bones of the hand that is the target position for handcuff placement because this is the narrowest part of the arm (excluding the fingers themselves).

Indeed, the proximal carpal bones abutting the distal ends of the radial and ulna bones are the ideal place around which the handcuff should be applied.

Placing the handcuffs too high on the forearm might mean that they could be slid down to a narrower point and the cuffs could be subsequently slipped off.

Handcuffs were not designed with comfort in mind, particularly for the arrestee, so use a fingertip check for tightness rather than relying on an arrestee’s comments.

Use one fingertip to the sides of his wrists to determine tightness.

Constant complaining by the arrestee might mean that the handcuffs are genuinely too tight (keep in mind though that sometimes these complaints could be made with the hopes that the cuffs could be loosened and to a degree so that an arrestee could slide his hand(s) through the newly adjusted cuffs).

PRO TIP: Sometimes these complaints are made just to put you in the process of re-adjusting the cuff, so that they can make a quick move to pop the cuff all the way open.

Arrestees can create an artificial tightness by pulling their arms apart as apparent proof of the fact that the cuffs are on too tight, when all they are doing is trying to make you loosen the cuffs enough to escape from.