In Brazil, the so-called "pacotinho tático" ("tactical bundle") turned into a controversial topic. Here in the United States, anyone on the job hears that and thinks: "we stopped using that technique decades ago."
What the TORP is
The technical name here is TORP: it consists of connecting the leg restraint to the handcuffs, leaving the person immobilized like a package. It is exactly what Brazilians call the pacotinho tático.
Why the U.S. walked away from it
It has been 20, 30 years since it practically fell out of use. Today, applying the TORP triggers a heavy process: it brings in paramedics, Internal Affairs and a use-of-force investigation. The technique itself is still authorized, but only in an extreme, life-or-death situation — and even then you will have to justify, in detail, that there was no other way out. It is nowhere near an everyday tool.
What still flies: the hobble
What remains allowed is the hobble: restraining the feet with the strap and securing the end to the car door (the person's legs are contained, but with no connection to the wrists and without being dragged). The difference is precisely not linking the feet to the hands — that is what separates the hobble, acceptable, from the TORP, restricted.
The fake-SWAT myth
And then there is the folklore: in Brazil, a guy who claimed to be a SWAT member — and never was — sold plenty of books pushing the idea of the pacotinho tático. The irony: the very United States he claimed to have brought the "technique" from had already abandoned it a long time before.
Who's talking here: Eliel Teixeira and Edwin Wu are active-duty police officers in the Los Angeles area, California — Brazilian-born, American citizens, with long careers in law enforcement. On Palavrão Tático, they talk cop to cop, for officers and enthusiasts, with no translation into civilian language.
Heads-up: everything described here applies to California rules — and, on several points, to each one's specific department. In other U.S. states (Florida, Texas, New York…) the rules can be quite different.
Watch this part of the episode:
Restraint techniques: the controversial "pacotinho tático" (hobble restraint) — starting at 37:20 · Palavrão Tático
This article is a reference edition of episode 39 of Palavrão Tático and is subject to edits and editorial additions. For the full conversation, watch the episode. — Updated on 06/08/2026.
