The NYPD is fairly freaked out by a cheap skeleton key being sold on Amazon that might be used by arrested individuals to escape from handcuffs.
In an internal memo sent out in May, NYPD commissioner Raymond Kelly warned officers about the dangers posed by the “Covert Hide Out Handcuff Key,” if someone being arrested by the NYPD were dumb enough to use one.
Judging by the Amazon reviews, the key seems fairly effective, "What can I say about this product, that hasn't been said already. It works. Does exactly what it supposed to do," said Amazon user Carlos Gomez.
Law enforcement officials are concerned about the plastic keys because they can easily sneak past metal detectors. It's unclear why this would be an issue however, as you aren't subjected to a metal detector before you are thoroughly padded down and processed. Hiding a key on your person would be difficult to say the least.
The NYPD hasn't arrested anyone who has then tried to pull off a magician-like escape, and they haven't found any suspects with a plastic skeleton key on their person, but they remain ever-vigilant. They're also on the lookout for these nefarious bracelets which might conceal an equally insane escape attempt.
