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Shimming Handcuffs
by Michael Jaquish
It is
impossible to count the number of times I placed suspects in handcuffs during my
law enforcement career. I recall being aware that it was possible to pick the
cuffs, but fortunately, I never actually encountered anyone who managed to do
that. That does not mean it could never happen though. There are individuals out
there who possess the knowledge, skill and motivation to do this and the
information is freely available on the internet. As law enforcement officers we
need to be aware of how one would pick a set of handcuffs so we can limit the
suspects opportunities if they happen to be so inclined. And, what if the worst
should happen? What if you find yourself taken hostage by your suspect; and, you
end up wearing your own cuffs? Hope for the best, but plan for the worst by
having a contingency plan. Here is what you need to know about picking
handcuffs that you may not have learned at the academy.
First of all,
we are technically exploring shimming the cuffs, not really picking the lock.
Lock picking more or less involves the manipulation of the lock tumblers, while
shimming is defeating some portion of the locking mechanism. The most commonly
used handcuffs are Peerless or Smith & Wesson. These and other handcuffs are
very easy to shim because they have very simple, generic locking system that
allows the handcuff locking arm to swing freely, making it easy to apply the
handcuffs in a tactical situation. Essentially, when handcuffing a suspect, you
close the cuffs over the wrists of the individual and then use the tip of the
key to lock the cuffs so they cannot be tightened accidentally; this is commonly
referred to as double locking.
Handcuffs can be easily opened without keys
Handcuffs can
be shimmed by a safety pin, paper clip, bobby pin, or piece of wire nearly as
quickly as opening them with a key. Shimming is done with a small piece of
stiff wire such as a safety pin or a small paper clip. Handcuffs have a metal
arm with a series of notches that swings around and tightens when it contacts
the ratchet, allowing for movement in only one direction (tighter). The handcuff
can easily be shimmed by inserting a wire between the notches and the ratchet to
cover two or three of the ratchet teeth. Once you do that properly, the
handcuffs will slip open if you press your arm against them in the right spot.
However, if the wire shim is too large, you run the risk of jamming the cuffs.
If this happens, you may have to dismantle the cuffs or saw them off to remove
them.
Picking
certain cuffs
Picking Smith & Wesson handcuffs
with a bobby pin is quite easy. Bobby pins tend to jam Peerless cuffs but they
work well to pick open the cuffs in Smith & Wesson cuffs. First, bend the bobby
pin (using the keyhole in the cuffs if you need to) so it looks like a hand
crank, with one flat end shorter than the other. You insert the bobby pin into
the handcuff keyhole and turn, just as you would with the regular key. By
moving the bobby pin around in a circular motion you can defeat the locking
mechanism, opening the handcuffs. Of course, with the cuffs behind your back,
both techniques will take some practice. Next time you are searching or
transporting a prisoner, take extra care to make sure they dont have any small
wires, pieces of metal or even bobby pins that might allow them to open the
cuffs.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
The retired
Chief of Police of the
Okanogan Police Department (Washington),
Michael Jaquish has degrees in Business Administration and
Law Enforcement. His book, Tales
of a Country Cop in Africa, traces the experiences of a
Jaquish, a small-town cop, who, following a divorce, retired from
law enforcement to pursue a career in
international diplomatic security and intelligence. In 1989, he traveled to
Liberia, West Africa, where, shortly after his arrival, savagery and revolution
exploded across the West African countryside.
Michael can be contacted via his
website at
www.countrycopbooks.com. There he writes
about current global and domestic politics and events and publishes his opinions
on his blog, Stranger in a Strange Land.
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