By Cuffsandcops

Through the convenience of social media, I was able to connect with a friend of mine from high school who chose to become a police officer in the town we grew up in. We chatted for a while about his work and the different positions he has held within the department over the 10 years he had worked there. I asked a lot of questions about some of the requirements to get into the field, as I was beginning to get bored with my career choices. He passed along a lot of information and told many tales of his patrol.

We met up a few times while he was off duty when I was back in town visiting my family. I will save those stories for another time. I tried to give him a heads up each time I was coming into town in case he had time to hang out. At one point in our chatting, he asked if I had any interest in going for a ride along with him one day while he was on patrol. Of course I was interested in doing something like that! We had had several conversations related to his gear and handcuffs, so to get a firsthand look at everything in action was something I definitely wanted to experience.

Since handcuffs had been used in previous meet-ups, I said it would be fun to get cuffed and sat in the back of the car. We set the day and time to meet at the police station well in advance. The week before, I confirmed with him.

It was a Tuesday in April. My officer buddy was assigned to a radar duty for a few hours before his regular shift was to begin. He instructed me to park in the city hall parking lot and he would come around to pick me up. I must admit that my heart was racing as I drove over. I pulled in, sent him a text that I had arrived, and stood outside my truck. A few minutes later, the officer pulled around in a black unmarked cruiser. I opened the passenger door and got in. This was the first time I had seen my officer buddy in full uniform in person. He wore black pants, long sleeve uniform shirt, and boots. He had a vest over his uniform shirt and a fully loaded duty belt around his waist. We shook hands, I put my seatbelt on, and off we went.

Our first stop was a local convenience store to grab a coffee and water. The girl at the drive through window didn’t make the officer pay for his coffee. We then drove to the west side of town and pulled into a location where the speed limit was reduced as drivers entered the city limits. While there, my buddy explained how the computer worked and the radar system. He talked about the codes that were being broadcast over the radio. At one point in time, he described in detail everything that was on his duty belt.

After a while, someone set off the radar. The lights and sirens were flipped on and we pulled over a van. I was told to stay in the car while the traffic stop was conducted. The officer spoke to the driver and returned to the cruiser with his information. He talked through checking his identification and driving summary. The driver’s information was inserted into the form for a ticket. The officer printed out the ticket, walked up to the driver’s vehicle, and issued the driver a speeding violation. He returned to the cruiser and we pulled into a parking lot so all of the information could be completed and sent to the precinct.

Next, the officer drove us around some neighborhoods and locations that he frequented or were hot spots for potential activity. Things were quiet. We met up with another officer who was on patrol and conversed with him for a few minutes. It was funny to hear how the officers talked to each other. There was a lot of ball busting and trash talking between them. We then set out for the east side of town.

While driving down Main Street, we ended up behind a vehicle traveling far below the posted speed limit. After a minute of crawling, the officer flipped on the lights and pulled the car over. He went up to the car and talked with the driver. After a few minutes, he returned to the cruiser. He told me that it was a pair of older gentlemen who were searching for an address and were not from the town. Directions were provided and the vehicle was sent on its way. Our next stop was the barber shop, so the officer could make an appointment for later in the week.

Once back in the cruiser, we set out for the first location where we parked and caught the speeder. While we sat there, he ran my ID and brought up my driving history, which were clean. A van drove by and I said that the driver was on her phone. My buddy asked if I was sure and I said that I was. Lights and sirens went on, and we pulled out after her. She pulled over and the officer approached. He spoke with the driver for a couple of minutes and returned to the cruiser. The driver was on her way to the hospital to meet a family member. The officer gave her a free pass and she pulled away from the curb.

After doing some work on the computer, my buddy said that it was getting to be time to return to the station for the next part of his shift. I nodded my head. He then asked if I still wanted to get cuffed and sat in the back seat. The idea had not been brought up at any time during the ride along and had not been talked about since the initial idea was presented. I was surprised that he remembered, to be honest. I responded by saying I would love to experience that, if it was cool.

The officer made a U-turn and headed away from the police station. He then made a left turn onto a dirt road that I didn’t know existed and drove back to an area that was not visible from any roads. He turned the cruiser so that it was facing back down the road we drove in on and threw it in park. He told me to get out and I exited the vehicle. I stepped out and closed the door as he rounded the back end of the cruiser. I said that I wanted him to do it like it was for real since it would hopefully never actually happen to me. He asked if I wanted to remove my watch, which I did and placed in my pocket.

I was then told to place my hands on the trunk of the patrol car and spread my feet. My left hand was grabbed, pulled behind me, and a handcuff was quickly placed on it. The sound of the cuffs clicking will never be forgotten. Next, my right hand was cuffed in the same manner. I thought about putting up some resistance, but decided that it wasn’t the best idea at this time. The handcuffs were double locked. The back passenger door was then opened. The officer pushed his bag out of the way and told me to sit down. I entered the vehicle and was careful to not bump my head. I pulled my other leg in and was sitting handcuffed in the back seat of a police cruiser with an on-duty officer. It all hit me for a moment, and I just sat there quietly.

I commented how I thought it would have been a tighter space and less leg room. The officer told me that the newer vehicles were a different make and model and had much less space. He said that he could show me that another time. I asked why he didn’t read me my rights while taking me into custody. He replied that it doesn’t typically go down like they show on TV. We talked for a couple of more minutes with me in the back seat handcuffed and him standing in the door. The cuffs were on snuggly, but I didn’t mind.

He then asked if I was good, to which I replied yes, and began exiting the vehicle. Once out, I was told to face the car and lean forward. My hands were pulled up and I heard the key get inserted into the cuffs. My left hand was released first, followed by my right. The officer asked if I had any other questions or needed anything else. I told him no and we got back in the front of the cruiser. On the drive back to the station, I thanked my buddy for allowing me to experience what being arrested felt like. He reminded me, as have most of the officers who have put me in cuffs, that it feels much different when you know they aren’t coming off. I assured him that I understood.

After a few minutes, we arrived back in the parking lot of city hall. I shook my buddy’s hand and thanked him for the inside experience. He drove off, and I got into my truck. I sat there for a few minutes with a big smile on my face. I had just spent three hours driving around with an officer in his patrol car. I witnessed three unique traffic stops. I felt what it was like to get taken into custody. What an afternoon!