Public Service Announcement: Bad Guys Can Carry Handcuffs Too

There was a recent kerfuffle on the JTT Facebook Page regarding a picture that I posted of the TIHK (Tiny Inconspicuous Handcuff Key). Some readers seemed to disapprove of its existence, its lawfulness, or maybe just its posting. There was some concern that it could pose a danger to law enforcement, a sentiment with which I wholeheartedly agree – which is part of why I post about such things…

TIHK on JTT

The picture and product in question.

The TIHK is obviously not intended to be used in an illegal way. It is designed to protect law abiding citizens and law enforcement officers from an illegal detainment. Bad people can access the exact same handcuffs as the good guy via a variety of means. If anything, it is even more important for LEOs to carry a tool like the TIHK since they are statistically more likely to find themselves illegally cuffed, probably with their own cuffs.

I would advise taking great caution in how you intellectually approach an item like the TIHK. The argument that an inanimate object is bad because bad people can use it to bad things sounds very familiar. That is not the logic of liberty.

I will continue to post about items like the TIHK because…

  • LEO readers should know these, and items like them, are out there. It is better to read about them here than to find out when the perp you left cuffed on the curb has shed his cuffs and is beating feet (or worse).
  • They can help protect both LEO and regular joe readers from bodily harm associated with an illegal detainment by those who mean them harm which absolutely does happen.
  • They have no will or volition of their own and are neither good nor bad. To view them any other way is inconsistent with my views on firearms or any other inanimate object.

Check out Vigilant Gear for more information on the TIHK.

7 Responses to Public Service Announcement: Bad Guys Can Carry Handcuffs Too

  1. Anthony Rumball January 22, 2014 at 17:55 #

    Fully supported. You can’t just stick your head in the sand and hope the bad guys will miss a trick, because they won’t. Knowledge is power. If ignorance is bliss then slap me in the face.

    12 year LEO now consultant.

  2. Brandon January 22, 2014 at 21:09 #

    Same thing happened on my page…well said.

  3. AC January 22, 2014 at 21:16 #

    I wholeheartedly agree with Anthony, knowledge is power. I have seen similar products in the past, but not this particular one until this posting on JTT. I am a State police officer and will share this with fellow officers. Thank you and continue to post similar information in the future… it just might save a life.

  4. Dave January 22, 2014 at 22:50 #

    You didn’t do a damn thing wrong. Keep up the good work.

  5. Choppedlow January 23, 2014 at 08:41 #

    For some reason, after the last unfortunate run in I had with cops that were looking for a guy on an orange Harley (mine is all black), I couldn’t care less how this or any other device effects LE. Any respect I had for them is gone.

    • Matt January 23, 2014 at 08:50 #

      So, are you saying the police in your area may have painted all Harley owners with the same brush? It sounds like you may be guilty of the same when it comes to the police. That is not the logic of liberty either.

  6. Tim January 24, 2014 at 19:33 #

    Keep on keepin’ on, man. Pretty much anything out there can be misused, and it’s not your fault, or Vigilant Gear’s, if people get up in arms about it. The fact is, E&E gear may very well save your life one day. The fact that you post links to it here helps me keep up with the new stuff coming out. Thanks!

Powered by WordPress. Designed by Woo Themes