By Cuffsandcops

Friday evening I went on my third ride along of the year. It all came about from talking to the deputy at the sporting goods store from my last tale. I spoke with that deputy on another visit to that store about doing a ride along. He works as an investigator and referred me to the patrol division. He provided a name and phone number for me to call to set a ride along up. The following day, I made the call and left a voicemail. A few days later, I noticed a missed call from the sheriffs department while I was at work. I took a moment to return the call and spoke to the Captain. I gave him the back story of my conversation with the deputy at the store and inquired about experiencing the arresting process. He told me that was not something they did, but a ride along could be scheduled. The Captain emailed me paperwork to complete which included a waiver and instructed me to send it back to him to move forward.

It took me a week to get the paperwork done, as it needed to be notorized, which proved more challenging that I would have thought. I emailed the paperwork back to the Captain. A couple of days later, I had another missed call from the sheriffs department.

I assumed it was from the Captain regarding my paperwork, so I asked for him when I returned the call, only to leave him a voicemail. The next day, I received an email and call from a patrol Sergeant. I was able to speak with him after work. I proposed doing the ride along on a weekend. The Sergeant suggested the upcoming Friday as his team of deputies would be back on duty. He said he had a deputy in mind for me to ride with who was a go-getter. The Sergeant informed me that deputies work 12-hour shifts that begin at 6 pm. He gave me the address to the station and directions on where to park. I was told to knock on the door by the blue light in order to get the attention of the deputies inside when I arrived. He suggested I ride between 4 and 6 hours. I expressed my excitement and the call concluded.

Friday finally arrived and I left my house 45 minutes before 6. The sheriffs department was about a 30-minute drive into the neighboring county, and I wanted to be on time. The sheriffs department is located in a complex that contains the jail and courthouse. I parked where I was told to and observed some deputies going in and out of a gray building.

There were a few marked units idling in the parking lot. At 5 minutes to 6, I left my truck and walked to the door by the blue light as I was directed to. I rang the bell and knocked on the door. I could see deputies inside but no one answered. I walked to the opposite side of the building to where the SUVs were and knocked on the door I saw deputies using. Two deputies responded to my knock, informed me that my host had not arrived yet, and asked me to wait in my vehicle.

I sat in my truck for about 10 minutes. While there I remembered to remove the handcuff key from my ring of keys. I saw a unit drive in and park. The deputy got something out of the truck and entered the station. After a few minutes, I exited my truck again and knocked on the station door again. A deputy told me that they were having a briefing about a case and my host would be out shortly. A minute or two later, my host deputy exited the building and introduced himself. He had an excellent cop mustache and a handsome face. I followed him to the SUV we would be riding in. I asked if he could show me around the vehicle before we set off. The first thing he pointed out was the set of “big boy” cuffs that were located in the passenger door. More about those later. He showed me the single prisoner cage located behind the passenger seat. In the truck he had his personal gear bag and items used to collect evidence as he serves as one of the department’s two evidence technicians. The deputy pointed out the less lethal weapon that shoots bean bags located between the front seats. Before getting into the vehicle, the deputy handed me a key fob. He said he always locks the SUV when he gets out of it and asked me to remember to give the fob back at the end of our time together.

Our first two interactions were some good community policing, checking on a family and a homeless man. While driving in the deputy’s zone, I learned that he has only been with the sheriffs department for 10 months. He worked for a city department within the county for 3 years prior to transferring. Before that he worked as a corrections officer for the county jail, so in total he had almost 10 years of law enforcement experience. The deputy noticed a vehicle pass us with a headlight out. He made a U-turn and stepped on the gas to catch up to the car. Once in a safe spot, the lights and sirens were hit and the car pulled over. After speaking with the driver, the deputy decided to issue a fix it ticket, which allows 24 hours to correct the equipment issue. The deputy decided to not pile on the tickets once he learned that the driver’s license had expired earlier in the week. A sargent on DWI patrol joined us on the call for a moment to make sure everything was ok.

We set of again and tried to locate a bonfire we could see from a main road. It was determined that the fire was on private farmland so there wasn’t anything we could investigate. Next a call came out about a man who had potentially harmed himself. We swiftly arrived at the address provided. Several city units joined the scene. The collection of officers checked the residence and did not locate the man. Another call came in suggesting he was at a nearby store, so we headed to that location. The man was not there either, so we went back to the residence and looked all over the area in between the two locations for the man. The deputy asked me to use social media to try and find a photo of the man. I was able to do so and texted the deputy the picture for him to share with the other officers. Moments later the city police located the main near some train tracks. The deputy allowed me to exit the SUV to observe what was going on from afar. Since the city police were handling the case and it was in their jurisdiction, the deputy decided to head back on the road. As we drove away, the deputy talked about how he would have handled the situation differently if he was the lead on the call. I appreciated how candidly he spoke and the steps he would have taken to make the scene safer for all involved. He thanked me for finding the man’s photo and I really felt like I contributed to his location.

After more driving around and conversing, we were dispatched to a home that was familiar to the deputy. He again told me I could stand outside the SUV. A few city units and even a state trooper also arrived on the scene. The collection of officers entered the residence. I heard several dogs barking. The deputy returned after a few minutes and reported how vile the conditions were in the place. Then we performed a property check near the canal and found a couple of guys fishing. They were asked to move to a public space and were reminded to not walk through people’s yards. The last call of the night sent us to another residence that so happened to be across from a city police department. We were joined by a city unit that was also hosting a ride along. A quick check of the apartment was made. While we were talking on the sidewalk, a high-ranking officer from the city department came out to see what was going on. He has a shiny gold badge on his chest. The deputy was not familiar with him and assumed he was working overtime.

The deputy said he would give me a tour of the station when we got back to it. On the drive there, I picked up the “big boy” cuffs and asked why the deputy called them that. He said they are for people who cannot get their hands behind their backs to fit regular handcuffs and handed me the pair off the front of his belt to compare. The “big boy” cuffs were basically shackles connected by a traditional two-link chain. He talked about having to use the on a power lifter who was too broad to get his hands together behind his back. I asked if he always cuffed people behind their backs and he said he did. He told me about transporting someone who was cuffed behind his back for about 6 hours. In typical fashion for me, I asked if I could experience being arrested. The deputy hesitated and said that I could not tell his sergeant if he did. I promised not to.

The deputy pulled into a vacant parking lot. We both exited the SUV. The deputy’s cuffs were already out from me comparing them to the “big boy” cuffs. He demonstrated how to grip his Peerless model 100 handcuffs. I was told to turn away from him and place my hands behind my back. I felt and heard the handcuff close on my left wrist, then my right. The deputy asked if the cuffs felt comfortable. I asked if they were on a tight as they should be and he used his finger to check each cuff. He then proceeded to double lock them and described that they wouldn’t get any tighter on the person in the back seat. Of course I asked if I could sit in the single cage while cuffed. The deputy said I didn’t want to go back there because it was nasty from others who had been there before me. I commented that no one had been back there since my ride along began and the deputy opened the rear door on the passenger side. He grabbed my arm and said that everyone in custody had to be held on to. He directed me to set one foot in the back seat and watch my head as a I moved in.

The seats were not hard plastic so aside from the cage wall not providing much leg room, the cage wasn’t that uncomfortable. After a couple of minutes, I exited the cage and the deputy removed the handcuffs from my wrists. He informed me that that was the first time he had ever put someone in handcuffs simply because they asked. I felt honored.

The deputy told me to sit in the driver’s seat and I was able to press buttons to make the lights work. He took a couple pictures of me standing in front of the SUV with the lights on. We then both got back in the vehicle and made our way to the station. I asked if the gear he was carrying was issued or if he was able to purchase any of his own items. He told me that second pair of cuffs that he carried on the back of his duty belt were a pair he purchased. They were Smith and Wesson model 100. The deputy mentioned that he likely had a spare pair of cuffs in the unit and if he did, I could have them. I was shocked by this.

We arrived back at the station. We both exited the SUV. I stepped towards the station. The deputy opened the rear door behind him and began riffling through a bag. I walked around the back of the vehicle and the deputy handed me a pair of Smith and Wesson model 100 handcuffs identical to the ones in his back cuff case. I asked if he was serious and he told me he was. The deputy said he didn’t have an extra key, but I could find one online easily and showed me the one he carries. I thanked him for the handcuffs and put them in my pocket.

The deputy opened the door that I had knocked on 6 hours prior. He identified offices that ranking officers used as we walked down the hall. He showed me an interrogation room and a room used for briefings. Next, I was shown room where alcohol levels could be checked in the event of a DWI. The last room contained a finger printing machine, camera to take mug shots, and the famous bench that prisoners get cuffed to while being processed. The deputy commented how it was nice to have everything in one room and to have the jail in close proximity, so processing typically didn’t take that long. The station was very simple, but it had everything that was needed to get the job done.

The deputy and I walked back towards the parking lot. I thanked him for allowing me to occupy his office with him for half of his shift. He informed me that I was the first rider he ever hosted. I asked if he would host others after having me and he said he would and that I did a great job. He complimented me on the questions I asked and the conversations we had. I thanked him for being an excellent host and again for the handcuffs. He reminded me not to lock them on anyone until I obtained a key. We shook hands and I walked to my truck. I spent time to inspect the handcuffs he gave me. There were no identifying markings or anything on them, but I had a huge smile on my face while holding them.

I made the drive home in record time. Once there, I texted the deputy to again thank him for the experience. I had a real hard time falling asleep that night. I ended up cuffing myself in front and spent time reflecting on the ride-along. I used one of the many keys I have to release myself from the handcuffs. Two days later, I texted the deputy to inquire about the cuff key he carried, and he sent me a link to buy one. I also asked for his work email and send a thank you to the Captain, Sergeant, and Deputy for the making the ride-along happen. I always enjoy going on ride-alongs. This was my sixth time doing so. I never would have thought that one of the officers would give me set of handcuffs. I have a souvenir that will help me remember this one in particular for a very long time. I realize I am very lucky to have the experiences that I have documented. I know I’ve said it before, but you never know what can happen if you strike up a conversation with a cop. I went from being handcuffed in the sporting goods store, to riding along, to being gifted a deputy’s pair of handcuffs. All are wins in my book.

Metal would like to thank the author, Cuffsandcops, for the story — and the pictures!