I have transported literally thousands of prisoners in my time. Sunday was the first time I ever buckled one up. In order to buckle a prisoner you have to reach across the person. The subject I had was small framed, contrite and sober so I felt it was safe. He asked to be buckled. I will transport another couple dozen tomorrow (another job) and will not buckle any of those up. Officer assaults will increase dramatically if a requirement to buckle all prisoners goes into affect. I should add that MOST police vehicles do not have seatbelts in the back seat. For years Michigan State Police did not have security cages in their cars and they transported in the front seat, buckled. So it is not a new concept, just one that isn’t done on a regular basis. Transport vans would be deadly. This would require an officer to enter the transport area to secure the prisoner. I cannot think of a more unsafe action for an officer.
I understand; however, in the Freddie Gray case, it is my understanding that it is Baltimore Police Department (BPD) policy to buckle their prisoners in the back seat.
I agree, that there are times when buckling a prisoner in would be worse than not (i.e., confrontational prisoner, bleeding prisoner, etc...). I have never been a police officer. I was a chaser for a few months in the Marine Corps, and did apprehend, arrest, and transport prisoners to the brig.
My reference was only to the fore mentioned BPD policy.
Simple problems are not unsolvable, the “nickel ride” has probably been an activity of thuggish cops for a hundred years.
In 2015 we don’t want to hear that it is impossible to not send arrestees to the hospital when driving them to the station, we just want it ended.
Surely enough generations of time have passed that we can work out the problem of driving someone 5 miles without abusing them.