Post by coots on Jun 5, 2013 14:54:42 GMT -5
NY Daily News
Plastic Key on Sale at Amazon.Com Promises Cheap, Easy Freedom From Law Enforcement Handcuffs
It's the key that can set criminals free — and it sells for a measly $10.50.
Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly issued an internal alert in May about plastic handcuff keys for sale on Amazon.com that perps can attach to a zipper in case they need to spring themselves from the bracelets of the law.
The “Covert Hide Out Handcuff Key” is covered by a small plastic sleeve and looks like any other small lanyard attached to a jacket zipper.
“This handcuff universal key will be there for you when you need it most,” reads the description on Amazon. “Since the key is attached to its cord, it will not become lost even during the most demanding situations.”
In the internal NYPD memo issued May 23, cops were urged to be extra careful when transporting cuffed prisoners.
Law enforcement experts say the plastic keys present particular alarm because they can pass through metal detectors. That could allow prisoners to escape from all manner of custody — jails, courthouses or during transport.
A manager at Uniform Warehouse, a distributor of law enforcement equipment, hadn’t heard of the universal plastic keys. And he wondered about the wisdom of selling them.
“It must be a new fad,” he said, whose company only sells to customers who verify they’re law enforcement. “It’s scary, it really is. I hope they’re looking into it.”
The store manager was also unsettled by the fact that anyone could buy the key from Amazon, the world’s largest online retailer. Company officials didn’t respond to requests for comment.
But the plastic key isn’t a surefire ticket to freedom, judging by online product reviews.
“What a joke,” read one review. “Can’t get it out when you need to and (it) bends. Then you get the crap kicked out of you by the cops.”
An NYPD source said that no officers have recovered the plastic key yet. An officer sounded the alarm on the key after seeing it online, the source added.
Efforts to reach the maker of the key, which is listed as ASR Tactical, were unsuccessful. A domain name for the company belonged to a 37-year-old man from Laguna Beach, Calif. He denied having anything to do with the business, and was stunned to hear the concealed key was being sold in ASR Tactical’s name.
“I don’t manufacture anything; I don’t sell anything,” he said, adding he bought the domain three years ago but wasn’t using it.
He then called the police on a reporter hoping to speak with him outside his home.
When the Laguna Beach PD arrived, it was equally stunned by the availability of the plastic handcuff key.
“Where can I get a copy of this?” asked the officer, pointing to a printout of the Amazon posting.
The cop then jotted down information on the key and left.
Plastic Key on Sale at Amazon.Com Promises Cheap, Easy Freedom From Law Enforcement Handcuffs
It's the key that can set criminals free — and it sells for a measly $10.50.
Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly issued an internal alert in May about plastic handcuff keys for sale on Amazon.com that perps can attach to a zipper in case they need to spring themselves from the bracelets of the law.
The “Covert Hide Out Handcuff Key” is covered by a small plastic sleeve and looks like any other small lanyard attached to a jacket zipper.
“This handcuff universal key will be there for you when you need it most,” reads the description on Amazon. “Since the key is attached to its cord, it will not become lost even during the most demanding situations.”
In the internal NYPD memo issued May 23, cops were urged to be extra careful when transporting cuffed prisoners.
Law enforcement experts say the plastic keys present particular alarm because they can pass through metal detectors. That could allow prisoners to escape from all manner of custody — jails, courthouses or during transport.
A manager at Uniform Warehouse, a distributor of law enforcement equipment, hadn’t heard of the universal plastic keys. And he wondered about the wisdom of selling them.
“It must be a new fad,” he said, whose company only sells to customers who verify they’re law enforcement. “It’s scary, it really is. I hope they’re looking into it.”
The store manager was also unsettled by the fact that anyone could buy the key from Amazon, the world’s largest online retailer. Company officials didn’t respond to requests for comment.
But the plastic key isn’t a surefire ticket to freedom, judging by online product reviews.
“What a joke,” read one review. “Can’t get it out when you need to and (it) bends. Then you get the crap kicked out of you by the cops.”
An NYPD source said that no officers have recovered the plastic key yet. An officer sounded the alarm on the key after seeing it online, the source added.
Efforts to reach the maker of the key, which is listed as ASR Tactical, were unsuccessful. A domain name for the company belonged to a 37-year-old man from Laguna Beach, Calif. He denied having anything to do with the business, and was stunned to hear the concealed key was being sold in ASR Tactical’s name.
“I don’t manufacture anything; I don’t sell anything,” he said, adding he bought the domain three years ago but wasn’t using it.
He then called the police on a reporter hoping to speak with him outside his home.
When the Laguna Beach PD arrived, it was equally stunned by the availability of the plastic handcuff key.
“Where can I get a copy of this?” asked the officer, pointing to a printout of the Amazon posting.
The cop then jotted down information on the key and left.
