By Cuffsandcops

A suburban police department nearby hosted an Open House this morning. Included in the advertisement for the event were interactive games, vehicle displays, and police demonstrations. I have had some previous interactions with officers from this department. Last fall I got a young officer to cuff me, you can read that interaction in Recent Short Stories. I had a lengthy chat with a different officer about watches one day this past winter, but he was hesitant to cuff me when I asked. A few weeks ago when I spoke to yet another officer from this department, he suggested that an event like their Open House could provide me with a chance to experience being cuffed. With this knowledge and made a plan to stop by the Open House to see what might happen.

I arrived at the Open House, which was held at the police department headquarters with about 30 minutes left in the event. After parking my truck, I walked past the fire department vehicles and police explorers positioned at the entrance to the parking lot. I looked in a mobile command center trailer.

There was a drone demo going on next to that. An intoxication simulator was set up with the goggles that impair your vision. You could ride a 3-wheel bike through a course of cones. They had three vehicles on display, one marked SUV, one marked Ford truck, and an unmarked Kia. I peeked in the windows of these vehicles, and both marked units had cages in the back. There was also a Harley decked out in the department’s logo and colors.

Officers were milling around the event. Some were in full uniform. Others in polos and khakis with weapons and cuffs on their belts. I approached two officers who were standing near the intoxication simulator. They were conversing with a gentleman who sounded like he was interested in a position with the department. When there was a break in their interaction, I asked the one in a polo if I could experience being handcuffed and sat in one of the vehicles. The officer said he didn’t think his superiors wanted them to put anyone in cuffs. He suggested that the officer in full uniform could show me the vehicles. When he was done speaking to a potential future co-worker, that officer walked away so I never got to speak with him.

I headed over to where the drone demo was taking place. An all-black SUV had its rear hatch open where a monitor was set up to see what the drone could see when it was in the air. The officer operating the drone had a gold badge on his chest signifying that he was a high-ranking officer. I approached the Lieutenant and asked him if I could experience being handcuffed. He chuckled and asked why neither of the other officers did. I told him that they said they didn’t think those in charge wanted that to happen. I commented that his gold badge indicated that that he might have authority to do it. He laughed again and said he would cuff me after he landed the drone.

In the time that it took for the drone to reach the ground, a former explorer cadet had come over to speak with the Lieutenant. He asked several questions about the drone and the three of us had a nice conversation about its capabilities and how it has been used by the department. As that conversation was wrapping up, another officer came over and said another guy wanted to see the drone in action. The Leiutenant gave me a look and I said he should show off his drone. After getting it in the air and performing a few speed tests, the drone once again landed. The event was wrapping up and the other officers and cadets were taking down the displays and cleaning up.

Once the drone was packed away, the Leiutenant turned to me and said it was my last chance to get cuffed. I said let’s do it. He told me to take my watch off, which was a massive Invicta Grand Arsenal. I set my watch on the top of the SUV and turned my back to him with my arms out to my sides. The Leiutenant took a pair of cuffs out of a case on the back side of his duty belt. He commented that he might need two use to sets since my shoulders are broad. He guided my hands together behind my back and commented that I have good flexibility in my shoulders. He didn’t slap the cuffs on with any aggression and did not double lock them, but I was securely locked in them. I asked questions about how long someone stays in them and if they were as tight as they should be. The Leiutenant talked about hand positions and how compliance goes a long way with determining how long they stay on and how tight they would be. When checking the cuffs for fit, he actually tighted the cuff on my right wrist a few clicks.

I asked how cramped the back seats are in their vehicles. The Lieutenant said his vehicle didn’t have a cage, but I was welcome to have a seat. He opened the passenger side rear door, and I made my way in. He commented that there is a solid barrier in the other units and the leg room is limited in them. As I exited the back seat, the Lieutenant positioned himself behind me to remove the cuffs. He got the left cuff off and tried to show me how sometimes the cuffs don’t fit on wrists as they are intended to and my wrist did not fit comfortably when the cuffs were positioned cockeye.

Before he got the right cuff off, I asked if it was possible to sit in the back of the marked SUV that was parked by the department’s building. Next thing I knew, the left cuff was back on and I was being escorted across the parking lot towards the other unit. The Lieutenant made sure to grab my watch off the top of his vehicle. An officer had started the vehicle to move it behind the building as we approached it. There were a group of explorer cadets were standing next to the vehicle as well. The Lieutenant told the officer to hold on a minute and opened the driver’s side rear door. I sat myself in the backseat. The seat was plastic and had a spot for cuffed hands to set in. The Lieutenant pointed out how the seat belt worked so he didn’t have to reach across me to secure it. Surprisingly there was more leg room in this caged back seat than there was in the unmarked unit.

After a few minutes, I exited the backseat and turned my back to the Lieutenant so he could remove the cuffs. I commented how it was noticeable that the right cuff had been tightened and looked at the red rings and marks on my wrists. I guess I spent 15 or more minutes with my hands cuffed behind my back, which is a lot longer than previous cuffings have been in my experience. The Lieutenant handed my watch back and we both walked towards the unit where the drone was. I asked about opportunities to participate in training or other things as a civilian. The Lieutenant mentioned a civilian academy the department holds occasionally. He handed me his business card and told me to send him an email, which I have already done. I shook his hand and thanked him for the conversation and experience of being cuffed. What started off looking like an afternoon of rejection, turned into a really great interaction the Lieutenant. I am curious what might come about from my email and am glad I took the chance to visit the Open House.