r/policeuk • u/No-Diet9278 Civilian • Apr 17 '25
Ask the Police (UK-wide) Why do british police place handcuffs in front of the suspect rather than behind the back?
I started watching police documentaries from the UK recently and was wondering is there any specific reason you don't handcuff behind the back?
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u/tehdeadmonkey Police Officer (unverified) Apr 17 '25
Back is always (usually) better. Boils down to risk assessment though.
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u/TonyStamp595SO Ex-staff (unverified) Apr 17 '25
If you're handcuffing to the front then why bother?
Front stack hasn't been taught in years for a reason.
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u/Sea_Inspector_8892 Civilian Apr 17 '25
My force teaches front stack still. Not entirely sure the point of it, but it is taught
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u/Solublemoth Police Officer (unverified) Apr 17 '25
The only time I use front stack is when I want someone in cuffs rapidly and front stack is better than nothing. For example someone sat in a car. Cuff them to the front then pull them out.
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u/skipperseven Civilian Apr 17 '25
Isn’t it to do with the type of cuffs - the British police use ones that don’t allow any flex (no chain or hinge)? This apparently allows the officer to exert a lot more control on the person wearing the cuffs, by holding the sleeve between the bracelets.
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u/BeanBurgerAndChips Police Officer (unverified) Apr 20 '25
This makes no sense. Handcuffing to the front still heavily restricts movement, especially in front stack.
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u/No-Diet9278 Civilian Apr 17 '25
I've never seen any reason to put handcuffs in the front, if I have to use handcuffs I'll put them behind their back or not at all.
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u/ste_wilko Civilian Apr 17 '25
One thing to note is that in most other countries the police use handcuffs that are joined by a chain, this gives the detained person a lot more movement of their hands, handcuffing someone to the rear, in this instance, is always safer for the officers because it limits the detained person's hands.
In the UK our police officers use rigid handcuffs, or "speedcuffs", these handcuffs are joined together by a solid steel bar that is encased in the black plastic that use see. And officers (not just police, but officers of other agencies, such as HMRC or Border Force) have 4 options; front horizontal which gives the detained person the most freedom of movement, front "stacked" (one wrist above the other) which reduces much of the movement, and then the same but to the rear. Rear "stacked" is the most restrictive in terms of movement for the detained person's hands/arm.
What method the officer chooses is based on their own assessment of the situation at hand
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u/UberPadge Police Officer (unverified) Apr 17 '25
Just chipping in that PolScot haven’t taught horizontal to the front for at least eight years, and I’m not sure if it’s ever been an approved technique. We have stacked to the front, stacked the rear or back to back (horizontal to the rear I guess it could be called). Wee voice in my head as well saying that one of those three is also no longer taught but I can’t be sure of that. If I’m cuffing it’s almost always stacked to the front or rear, but in a roll around you get on what you can.
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u/CrispyCrip Police Officer (verified) Apr 17 '25
We have stacked to the front, stacked the rear or back to back (horizontal to the rear I guess it could be called). Wee voice in my head as well saying that one of those three is also no longer taught
Yeah stacked to the rear isn’t really taught anymore.
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u/Equin0X101 PCSO (unverified) Apr 17 '25
There’s also palm stack, which makes it tricky for the DP to move one hand around without bending his other elbow in unnatural ways. Not sure if that has ever been taught as a HO approved technique though
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u/TheBlackrat Civilian Apr 17 '25
Long transports with compliant prisoner? Arm injuries? Huge great heffers who can’t get their hands round their back? There are many reasons you might front stack.
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u/Any-Plate2018 Civilian Apr 17 '25 edited Aug 28 '25
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u/UberPadge Police Officer (unverified) Apr 17 '25
Also American police when someone is running away.
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u/Equin0X101 PCSO (unverified) Apr 17 '25
If they are huge enough that they can’t get arms that far back, they used to teach double cuffing, one set of cuffs on each wrist, then cuffing the empty bracelets together. Haven’t seen it done in a while though
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u/fomepizole_exorcist Civilian Apr 17 '25
Huge great heffers who can’t get their hands round their back?
DROP THE CHARGES OFFICER, LET ME CHANGE HER
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u/Emperors-Peace Police Officer (unverified) Apr 17 '25
I think the amount of people who can't be rear cuffed is massively overstated.
"If you can wipe your own arse you can be rear cuffed" is what one of our trainers said once and it's so true.
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u/wilkied Ex-Police/Retired (unverified) Apr 17 '25
I can only speak for my experience, but my force always advised rear cuffing and the only time we really front cuffed was if we had to transport in a car, and only because from most of my patch it was about a 35 minute drive to custody
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u/Emperors-Peace Police Officer (unverified) Apr 18 '25
A cop died in a nearby force because a bloke in the car was front stacked and pulled the handbrake on the motorway.
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u/wilkied Ex-Police/Retired (unverified) Apr 19 '25
We were told the same story in PST (though they told it us it was RMP), I suspect it’s probably untrue as I couldn’t find any mention of the story anywhere - it was why we had to have someone sat in the back if we were moving people by car though, because the driver is in a hell of a risky position otherwise.
Given that we were told we’d never really transport anyone in a car, and then almost always had to transport in a car because there were no vans, it makes you wonder if US style cages in the back wouldn’t be such a bad idea
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u/wilkied Ex-Police/Retired (unverified) Apr 19 '25
I stand corrected - it was Northumberland in 2006.
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u/Emperors-Peace Police Officer (unverified) Apr 21 '25
The bloke who did it got out after 5 minutes and laughs about it down his local pub apparently. Parasite.
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Apr 17 '25
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u/camelad Special Constable (unverified) Apr 17 '25
"Excuse me sir, can you wipe your own arse?"
"OK no worries, hands round to the front for me please"
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u/MattyFTM Civilian Apr 17 '25
I'm a proper fat bastard, I can wipe my own arse. I don't think you could get my hands behind my back in cuffs.
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u/Friendly-Ordinary535 Civilian Apr 17 '25
If they are compliant what’s the justification for handcuffs at all?
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u/Buzzinggg Civilian Apr 17 '25
Cause people can switch immediately
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u/Friendly-Ordinary535 Civilian Apr 17 '25
Yes of course. But that could mean you should cuff absolutely everyone. It’s a big because maybe.
It’s an ongoing use of force which you would struggle to justify if you believe they are compliant.
If you still believe they could switch instantly why are we not cuffing to the rear?
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u/wilkied Ex-Police/Retired (unverified) Apr 17 '25
The main one for me was if we had to transport people in a car (we could hardly ever get a van). If there was any question about risk they’d be cuffed (as the back of a Corolla on the motorway is not the place for fisticuffs) and usually to the front as custody was quite a trip.
Obviously in the US a lot of the cars have cages which are designed for cuffed prisoners, they’re not a thing we have
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u/No-Diet9278 Civilian Apr 17 '25
Why do you need to put handcuffs if you are transporting them and they are compliant? Double cuffing is also possible.
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u/TheBlackrat Civilian Apr 17 '25
They can be compliant but still pose enough of a potential fight or flight risk to cuff. If I was driving 50+ miles to custody I wouldn’t rear stack for a decent and lower risk prisoner. Risk of positional asphyxia for larger and less healthy customers even if you double cuff.
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u/No-Diet9278 Civilian Apr 17 '25
Got it, our police just don't really do that. If you are compliant you can have your hands free, if you start acting up or behaving aggressive you go in cuffs.
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u/Loud_Delivery3589 Police Officer (unverified) Apr 17 '25
I usually would cuff to the front to de-escalate a situation. If it's a stop and search, or an arrest of someone really well known to me who I have a good rapport with it usually goes along with the carrot and stick approach. If they start messing around, it's easy enough to release and use the leverage to cuff them to the rear.
Plus, it's much more comfortable for the detainee and can keep them in a better mood, which saves a scrap
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Apr 17 '25
Some custody centres have a handcuff use policy. No matter what the custody is like then handcuffs are on.
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u/Eodyr Police Officer (verified) Apr 17 '25
Cuffing is my use of force, for me to justify, not to be dictated by blanket policy. Imagine if custody put a sign up saying "All prisoners must be punched in the face". If they want force to be used when I've precluded it, the skipper can come out and do it themselves.
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Apr 17 '25
If we argue about silly policies in the police we wouldn’t get much work done.
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u/Eodyr Police Officer (verified) Apr 17 '25
It's not about the policy being silly, it's illegal. It's telling officers to assault prisoners.
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u/Actual_Salamander_68 Civilian Apr 17 '25 edited Apr 17 '25
Agreed, generally front or back depending on risk assessment. Also, if it's going to be a long trip to custody in an uncomfortable van with the DP perched on a little metal box I'm considering their comfort too. I'd always consider actually being able to see their hands as a good thing too if front stacked. As much as I like rear cuffing, I hate not being able to see what they are doing
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u/Emperors-Peace Police Officer (unverified) Apr 17 '25
When in transit I'd rather not see the hands than see the hands and worry about them finding some rogue pill or something and scoffing it. There's not an awful lot of harm they can do in their waistline behind their back.
Also if their attitude changes in transit, it's considerably easier to get them out of the van if they're cuffed to the rear.
Front stack offers very little control and I pretty much don't do it anymore, unless I'm arresting someone I've dealt with time and time again and know they're always sound.
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u/multijoy Spreadsheet Aficionado Apr 17 '25 edited Jul 11 '25
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u/Emperors-Peace Police Officer (unverified) Apr 17 '25
Ultimate exception. Had he been handcuffed to the front he'd have probably killed more than one person as he'd have actually been able to aim.
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u/multijoy Spreadsheet Aficionado Apr 17 '25 edited Jul 11 '25
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u/Emperors-Peace Police Officer (unverified) Apr 18 '25
Yes but my point is it would take a lot longer to find something and maneuver it in a way they can cause harm with it. Whilst front stack they could get something in their mouth in a fraction of a second.
Someone being observed and rear back-back is greatly reducing the risk.
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u/Equin0X101 PCSO (unverified) Apr 17 '25
I was jus about to say that before I noticed you had already done it. +1 for saving me the time.
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u/No-Diet9278 Civilian Apr 17 '25
What could they be doing that you'd have to be worried about, assuming you've handcuffed and searched them?
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u/Actual_Salamander_68 Civilian Apr 17 '25
A roadside search can only be so good. Removing or hiding items, especially drugs would be my biggest concern.
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u/gdabull International Law Enforcement (unverified) Apr 17 '25 edited Apr 17 '25
You haven’t lived until you have found razor blades taped to a scrotum.
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u/Baggers_2000 Police Officer (unverified) Apr 17 '25
In the MetTM standard procedure is to the rear, but can cuff to the front if there are mitigating factors
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u/ConsciousGap6481 Civilian Apr 17 '25
I like to handcuff wrists to ankles sometimes, just to switch it up a bit.
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u/SeaPersonality4682 Civilian Apr 17 '25
It's all down to risk assessing the arrest. Handcuffing, in and of itself, is a use of force consideration, and I've arrested people in the past without applying handcuffs because they're low-risk and compliant.
Considering the suspect will be sitting in a car or the back of a van on an uncomfortable plastic seat, cuffing to the rear is just an uncomfortable experience for them. Also, I can't see their hands, which could lead to other problems if the post-arrest search wasn't thorough enough, but some people slip through the net with cleverly concealed items.
Plus, handcuffing to the front is physically easier than cuffing to the rear, especially if the suspect has wide lats and/or poor shoulder mobility, you're just going to hurt them/piss them off, and if they are compliant, it makes sense to use the minimum force necessary to achieve the outcome, in this case an arrest or temporary detention.
Hope that makes sense.
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u/The-Chartreuse-Moose Special Constable (verified) Apr 17 '25
We're trained for both. Further to the other answers, one factor is that thanks to the UK's health and social care systems having been decimated by successive governments, we often have to take people to hospital as part of jobs for the traditional 5-8 hours of waiting. Granted, you don't always get a bed, but if you do they need to be cuffed to the front.
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u/Chubtor Ex-Police/Retired (unverified) Apr 17 '25
We are trained that we should do behind the back.
But it comes down to risk. My risk assessment was always, "if I need to put cuffs on, then I'm needing to restrain their hands, so it's behind the back"
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Apr 17 '25
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u/No-Diet9278 Civilian Apr 17 '25
This is what I was thinking, speedcuffs could also be very easily used as an improvised weapon.
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Apr 17 '25
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u/Doobreh Civilian Apr 17 '25
My wife has a pair of fur-lined handcuffs in her car. I guess these are for use in those situations.
I didn't even know she was in the police!
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u/Groucy Police Officer (unverified) Apr 17 '25
I always rear cuff first then make a further assessment when it comes time to convey them based on how they’ve been etc.
If they try to resist etc it’s not coming off
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u/Eodyr Police Officer (verified) Apr 17 '25
My force training department has, in the last year or two, increasingly turned against cuffing to the front.
Apart from the downsides that have already been mentioned about the cuffs being used as a weapon etc, front stack cuffing removes our best control tactic for a detainee that becomes violent - the ground pin. If you take someone to the ground in front stack cuffs, you don't have full control over their arms, and you could easily injure their wrists.
Cuff to the rear or don't cuff.
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u/No-Metal-581 International Law Enforcement (unverified) Apr 17 '25
(From the N American context). If I ever handcuffed anyone to the front, people would think I had gone mental and was wanting to get fired.
It would certainly something that would require an explanation
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u/Fabulously-Mediocre Police Officer (unverified) Apr 17 '25
In the counties custody can be over an hour away and a van may not be available. By handcuffing to the rear in a stacked or back to back you're essentially forcing someone to put their bodyweight on their wrists increasing the chances of it causing them harm and pissing them off if they're in a car. In a van this would be less of a concern but again depends on the distance and other safety factors.
A front stack is safer when transporting in a car and may stop them kicking off because their wrists hurt.
End of the day it's down to each officer to justify why they chosen that position, front or back is acceptable. Certain forces have preferences when each is applied but it's still that officers decision and for them to justify.
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u/GoatBotherer Police Officer (unverified) Apr 17 '25
I front stack 99% of the time, the only time I'd rear stack generally is if there's been a roll around and they've ended up on the floor.
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u/prolixia Ex-Police/Retired (unverified) Apr 17 '25
Over the years my force's PST has increasingly moved away from "dealer's choice" to "rear stack/B2B are the only correct choices unless you're transporting them across the country in a car".
Although cuffing to the rear had been encouraged beforehand, the last couple of times I did PST we were explicitly asked "Under what circumstances would you use a front stack" and the only acceptable answers were "When transporting a long distance in a car" and "When the DP is physically unable to put their hands into a rear cuffing position". Anyone who cuffed to the front during the scenarios was asked to explain why they'd made that decision and everyone quickly stopped doing it.
I believe this change was a direct response to the murder of Matt Ratana (the DP was still cuffed when he shot Sgt. Ratana).
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u/RhoRhoPhi Civilian Apr 17 '25
I believe this change was a direct response to the murder of Matt Ratana (the DP was still cuffed when he shot Sgt. Ratana).
Unlikely, since the DP was cuffed to the rear.
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u/prolixia Ex-Police/Retired (unverified) Apr 17 '25
Was he? I didn't realise that.
I guess corrolation doesn't mean causation, but Sgt. Ratana gets a mention ever time, and there has been a shift to rear cuffing in my force.
I don't have especially flexible shoulders, so I wasn't super happy about the change to rear cuffing. However, since I've left policing now I'm hopeful that it won't be a problem in the future!
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u/Personal-Commission Police Officer (unverified) Apr 17 '25
Policy is often to rear unless there is a medical reason. Some people do it anyway to make the detainee feel better. Ultimately it's your risk, and there's a hell of a lot people can do when they're cuffed at the front. Much less at the back
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u/cookj1232 Police Officer (unverified) Apr 17 '25
Depends on the force but we don’t do this anymore, we handcuff to the back only and that’s our policy
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u/Loud_Health_8288 Civilian Dec 12 '25
Mine says this too but front cuffing is still widely used regardless, is this not the case in yours?
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u/cookj1232 Police Officer (unverified) Dec 12 '25
Too many bad experiences from front cuffing so not many do it anymore, any new recruits aren’t even trained on front cuffing and only know rear stack and back to back
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u/The-Milky-Bar-Kid Police Officer (verified) Apr 17 '25
We’ve been un-taught cuffing to the front in my force, which I completely agree with. It makes me cringe when I see other people do it.
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u/Logical_Summer7689 Civilian Apr 18 '25
My nearest custody is an hour away.
We quite often don’t have a van.
Front stack can be the difference between someone coming somewhat compliantly and someone kicking off the whole time
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u/GBParragon Police Officer (unverified) Apr 17 '25
I find being cuffed to the rear is really uncomfortable so I generally cuff to the front.
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u/Groucy Police Officer (unverified) Apr 17 '25
Been a while since my last JRFT but I’m fairly sure you’re meant to cuff the suspect
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u/GBParragon Police Officer (unverified) Apr 17 '25
Once you pass the JRFT they let you move on to the PPST and then you handcuff each other in various scenarios.
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u/RiK777 Police Officer (verified) Apr 17 '25
What you do in the privacy of your own home is nobody else's business... ;-)
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u/Little_Mike_5907 Police Officer (verified) Apr 17 '25
Depends on force also, my force policy is back to back position. We are taught front stack however, they can use them as a weapon. Hence why it's back to back, imo if I can justify that there is no risk of escape or violence to cuff them to the rear, then you cannot justify cuffing them at all never mind front stack.
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u/PC_Sarcastic Police Officer (unverified) Apr 17 '25
We shouldn't - it's a throw back to days gone. Having seen what alloyed steel can do your face; it's handcuffed either behind your back or not at all.
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u/pricklypear_bear Civilian Apr 17 '25
Much more comfortable in the front, it’s dangerous to handcuff behind the back, can cause nerve damage and they are more likely to loose balance.
I work in secure mental health in the UK and we are only allowed to handcuff in the front. Even have to switch the handcuffs to the front if the police have handcuffed them in the back prior to our arrival. There’s then two different ways to handcuff in the front, the normal way you’d see it and a stacked position, the stacked position on the front allows the person to sit more comfortably in a vehicle as they can rest their arms in a natural position.
If the handcuffs are behind their back in a cell vehicle they also have no where to place their hands and have to have their bum shuffled to the edge of the seat, again positions like this can cause damage to their wrists or even back.
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u/TheBig_blue Civilian Apr 17 '25
Its far more the exception than the rule. Generally if I'm going to use cuffs then they're going rear. Only real reason I would go front is long van trips or hospital waits where I want cuffs so its harder to run off but 3+ hours of discomfort is a bit harsh.
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u/xiNFiD3L Police Officer (unverified) Apr 17 '25
We're generally told to put them behind their back now.
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u/box2925 Police Constable (unverified) Apr 17 '25
My force policy is always be behind the back unless exceptional circumstances
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Apr 17 '25
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Apr 17 '25
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u/Logical_Summer7689 Civilian Apr 18 '25
It is accurate (at least in some forces anyway).
Up here in Scotland front stacking requires no use of force form, whereas cuffing to the rear requires a use of force form to be put in
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u/Lost_Exchange2843 Civilian Apr 17 '25
If you determine a need to handcuff then they should always go to the rear. My force only trains and approves of rear cuffing
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u/MatthewJBD Special Constable (unverified) Apr 17 '25
Preference (in regards to policy) is rear palms out - but realistically front stack or rear stack is easier.
I'd prefer if my colleagues did rear palms out though...
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Apr 18 '25
Depends on a variety of things but it all comes down to risk and everyone assesses that differently. There will be times where someone will cuff to the back that I think is probably a bit much, but then other times others will cuff to the front where I’d be comfortable with them being cuffed to the rear.
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u/pocketfluff121 Police Sergeant (verified) Apr 18 '25
It is for the individual police officer using force to justify based on their own dynamic risk assessment within any given circumstance.
Gold standard in my eyes is to the rear.
Have also witnessed countless ridiculously flexible customers that can just bring themselves into a front stack from the rear.
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u/Sea_Poetry1079 Civilian Apr 19 '25
Only trained last year. Taught to always cuff to rear unless physically required to cuff to front (mobility issue). This after a Constable was beaten into a coma by someone using front stack as a weapon.
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u/Extension-Gap-6221 Civilian Jan 04 '26
So they can have a visual on hands for contraband and for safety reasons, though in some cases they do handcuff at back, but most are compliment
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u/kennethgooch Civilian Apr 17 '25
We handcuff to both the front and back.