May 20th, 2015 by TCTA admin

If your career has you in a position where you can arrest and place individuals in handcuffs, handcuff training should definitely be required. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out how to use handcuffs; they are rather simple mechanical pieces of equipment that have had few changes in design over the years.

Because the equipment is so simple to operate, many make the mistake of disregarding training – feeling perhaps it is unnecessary. A considerable amount of lawsuits that hit security agencies and police departments surround or involve the arrest process or some type of use of force; with that said, it only makes sense that security professionals remain highly-trained and knowledgeable in this area.

Formal training must be sought not only for an educational standpoint but also from a liability standpoint. Proof of certification and official training will add additional protection to you and your company in any use of force claim, regardless of your prior experience – you need official programs behind you.

Can a security guard legally handcuff someone?

In the News: High school security guard handcuffed a student with cerebral palsy sitting in a wheelchair; the guard then assaulted the student. The security officer was charged with felony assault and could face up to four years in prison for his actions. *A lawsuit against the guard and the company he worked for were not mentioned, but one can definitely guarantee it is sure to follow!

The video of the guard illegally handcuffing a woman and the story of the security officer handcuffing and assaulting a student should make you want to gather as much information as possible when dealing with the general public and what you as a guard can legally do with handcuffs.

Handcuff training classes for security officers

Texas Certified Training Academy’s courses are not “check the box” courses, nor do we only focus 80% on the operation of handcuffs, loading, drawing, key holes up, and positioning, like some other guard training facilities.

We know that outside of a classroom, not every suspect goes into handcuffs willingly and we know that even when you do everything correctly, you can still be named in a lawsuit. Putting the cuffs on and patting down a suspect is where most of the other courses end, yet ours continue to provide you with the entire arrest, step-by-step, legal package.

Some courses develop great “speed cuffers” or “handcuff acrobatics,” however the officers being untaught about the law in detail breeds hundreds of bad arrests and lawsuits each year.

Fully equipped with how to and when to use handcuffs will protect security officers against frivolous mistakes that untrained security officers often make. Get it right the first time around and take a course with your best interest in mind.

To get more information about handcuff training for guards, click here.