SIA advises against handcuff training

By John Harrington

- Last updated on GMT

Related tags Police

A training course teaching doorstaff to use handcuffs has been launched, reputedly for the first time in Britain. However, doorstaff regulator the...

A training course teaching doorstaff to use handcuffs has been launched, reputedly for the first time in Britain.

However, doorstaff regulator the Security Industry Authority (SIA) has advised against supervisors using handcuffs.

Doorstaff will learn how to use plastic handcuffs in the Arrest and Plastic Restraint (APR) training courses.

Course designer and former police officer Andy Walker said there is no law against handcuffs being used by civilians in certain circumstances.

He pointed to the Criminal Law Act 1967, which says anyone can use reasonable force to prevent crime, assist in the arrest of an offender, and avert imminent danger.

The "Key-Cuff" handcuffs used in the APR course are opened using the same keys that police carry, so doorstaff will not have to release offenders themselves.

Walker said: "Doormen, store detectives and security officers are facing threats and actual physical violence on a daily basis in some areas, particularly when they have to make arrests.

"Our new course will help those people to make those arrests safely, protecting themselves and the public from harm."

Bar Entertainment & Dance Association executive director Paul Smith said: "If the training is being done by decent-quality, trained individuals, we wouldn't have a problem with the principle [of doorstaff using handcuffs]."

But a spokeswoman for the SIA said: "We don't endorse the use of handcuffs. People can claim they were used unlawfully and it could lead to accusations of assault."

Courses are run by local security firms across the UK.

The one-day courses cost £160, which includes equipment, assessment, and insurance for 12 months.

For more information see www.fedstraining.co.uk.

Related topics Training

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