New York schools to test Velcro handcuffs

NEW YORK, Feb. 14 (UPI) -- Police officials in New York say they'll test the use of Velcro handcuffs on out-of-control children in 22 schools in the city borough of Queens.

New York Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly has approved the Velcro cuffs as a softer alternative to steel handcuffs, the New York Daily News reported Saturday.

School safety officers are expected to receive the alternative cuffs next week and then get two weeks of training on how to use them and when, said Deputy Police Commissioner Paul Browne.

The alternative cuffs are 22-inch strips of cloth with Velcro fasteners that can be adjusted to fit a child's wrist.

"We would prefer never to use restraints of any kind, but in those rare instances where it may become necessary, we want a softer alternative to conventional handcuffs," Browne said.