Handcuffing policy

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Dear Durham Constabulary,

I understand that there is Home Office Approved Training for the application of handcuffs on suspects/detainees, however, there seems to be a lack of information regarding what type of suspect/detainee should have which of the approved application methods applied.

I have found information that rear handcuffing in the stack position should be applied to slimmer people and larger suspects should have either back to back (of hand) or if impractical, to have 2 sets of handcuffs connected together.

It is clear that some people are too large to have rear stack at all or are large enough not to be able to have rear stack without causing considerable pain, discomfort and injury, yet I have found evidence of some people who clearly shouldn't have been handcuffed in the rear stack position being handcuffed in the aforementioned position.

What is your force policy on handcuffing large people who struggle to or cannot practically position their hands/arms for a rear stack and what are officers taught in regards to handcuffing in the rear stack position?

Yours faithfully,

Daniel Elliott

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Durham Constabulary
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