Part 4 of 5: SEARCH AND TRANSPORT
Search:
Putting handcuffs on someone does not complete the restraint process. Searching is a must.
A search should be conducted systematically by quadrants, top to bottom, outside to in, and in the same manner every time. Consistency reduces the opportunity for areas to be missed and helps prevent complacency. An officer should conduct every search intending to find something. There is a significant difference between going through the motions of searching someone and actually searching them.
A good standard is to search for something small enough to be a hidden handcuff key. If the search is thorough enough to locate something that small, it should also identify larger items such as drugs, contraband, and weapons.
Searching is not separate from the restraint process. It is one of its five fundamental steps, deliberately positioned after handcuffing and before transport.
Transport:
The restraint process does not end because the cuffs have been properly applied, double locked and the subject has been searched. The subject remains restrained, remains the officer's responsibility, and remains capable of movement, manipulation, or escape.
Handcuffed does not mean harmless.
Handcuffs restrict movement. They do not completely immobilize a person. A restrained subject may still be capable of moving, fighting, running, reaching for something, accessing an item that was missed during a search, manipulating the restraints or attempting to escape. The presence of handcuffs changes the circumstances. It does not eliminate the potential threat.
Handcuffs are temporary restraints; they do not ensure officer safety and do not completely restrain or immobilize a subject. The subject's hands and wrists should be checked periodically, and a handcuffed subject should remain under observation.
That continued observation is part of sound prisoner management. It allows the officer to recognize a medical problem or issue with the restraints, as well as attempts to access contraband, manipulate the handcuffs, change position, or otherwise create an opportunity for escape.
Control does not end when the cuffs click.
The same principle applies throughout movement and transport. People escape handcuffs. People escape transport vehicles. People escape secure facilities. No single piece of equipment eliminates human ingenuity, opportunity, or the consequences of complacency.
The objective is to minimize those opportunities. Maintain control and observation until the subject is appropriately transferred or the restraints are removed. When removal occurs, it should occur under controlled conditions and from a position of advantage.
