Why are handcuff keys restriced?

[jo90]

What is the point of restricting the sale of handcuff keys, you can get them easily on eBay...

[enforce-logic forum administrator]

Handcuff keys are not restriced for sale by law, however, if some unsavoury person got hold of one, and on a busy Saturday night in a scuffle released a mate who had been arrested, a police officer could get injured.  If that happened we would have assisted that person by supplying the key.
Only authorised persons should need a handcuff key, which is why we will ask for authorisation information if you buy them from us.  Anything that tells us what we need to know will do, an e-mail from your work e-mail address will be fine, or we can send the key to your place of work.  Some people don't seem to understand the implications of selling handcuff keys to just anyone, it is just a 'common sense' thing really.  If you can get them on eBay and no checks are done, who are they selling them to?  I guess there are some people who use handcuffs in the bedroom !!! That's another story, they won't get a key from us.

[dickR]

I think that is a good idea, if they were easily available and yobs got hold of them, you would be more vulnerable when you had a cuffed prisoner.  It's like the blue lights, you don't want idiots pulling people over pretending to be police officers, that's when we get a bad name.

[FN21]

I agree that their sale should be restricted, there is no reason to own handcuff keys if you're not a Police officer.  Maybe ebay should stop allowing their sale like they do other items.

[enforce-logic forum administrator]

eBay are supposed to ban the sale of police equipment, however, they say if an item is obselete it can be listed.  the trouble is all sellers just say the item is obselete.  many items of cast uniform are sold as obselete but they are just used, and the same items are still issued.  It would be very easy to kit a gang out to impersonate a police officer.  eBay seem unable to enforce it's own rules.  I agree, handcuff keys should be classed as police uniform or equipment and restricted for sale.

[FN21]

Yeah I've seen this too - current issue uniform from my force being sold as obsolete.  I considered reporting such items to ebay when I see them, but it would be a time consuming and thankless task.

[spud]

there is one site onestopcopshop they sell loads of cast uniform, you have to be careful though, some things don't make it clear they are used, it is in the small print.  It's OK if you know what you are getting is second hand, but don't get caught out, some of it isn't bad, but used is used..

[jimbob]

the national police uniform fleece top is popular but the ones from one stop copshop are second hand used ones....

[Litew8]

We had some dude on our briefing recently, known for impersonating Met Police... can't recall the borough... got mugged at knife point, had his Police kit taken off him... all of it genuine current stuff... including an AIRWAVE Radio(!!!!), Baton, hat, cuffs... the works... how on earth he got hold of one of these MOTOROLA's is beyond me given the cost...

[FN21]

Not just the cost - surely they're not on sale to the public?!  I know when they were first issued they were allegedly worth tens of thousands on the black market.

[Litew8]

No idea where matey got it from... 't'was a proper MetVest with "police officer" badge, his name on one of those velcro badges (that no-one actually seems to wear on my team), and pretty much all the gubbins you need including CS (apparently easily purchased from France!!!)... scary! 

[FN21]

It is indeed.  There's even a word for these wierdos that go round pretending that they're Police officers / armed forces - a "walt"! You'll find threads about them on quite a few police forums!

[enforce-logic forum administrator]

Unfortunately eBay allow people to sell police kit, it seems as long as they put the words obselete in the listing they don't seem to bother.  You can get almost anything including hats, helmets handcuffs, tac vests etc.  They have a policy of not allowing the sale of police uniform, except obselete or old uniform, trouble is they don't know what is obselete and seem to allow anything.  Trouble is some of the worst crimes against the elderly are committed by criminals impersonating police officers and gaining enhtry to their house etc.  Something should be done.
Some police forces should also consider who they sell cast kit to, when it is sold second hand you have to ask yourself who is buying it...

[FN21]

This really annoys me - I've often reported items of current uniform to eBay and they have been removed, but there's no way of holding the tide back.  They seem pretty hot on removing warrant card holders when they end up on there.

Just something to bear in mind when your browsing.  If you see a particular item and think "I don't like that being on there", report it, there's a button for it on the auction page and it takes less than a minute.

[Litew8]

Thanks for the tip... I'll keep that in mind...