Safely Handling Suspicious Person Stops

this article is an eye opener! i work in a city of almost 20,000 and we normally have 6 to 8 patrol officers on the street. often times we have to approach subjects and wait on back up before we can go any further. thus far i have had few problems but i would like to hear some suggestions from other officers on their safety plans during the time they are waiting for back up.

If I get a vibe the bad guy's going to get belligerent, or try something stupid, I just cuff them up right away. It tends to let them know you're serious, and it also minimizes the chances of either you, or them getting hurt. It usually takes bad guys a few seconds to work up the courage to fight or flee, and if you can beat them to the punch, literally, it just might take the fight out of them. Handcuffs can always be taken off later, if it's determined the subject hasn't actually committed a crime. "You're not under arrest, you're being cuffed for your safety and mine, while I conduct an investigation..."