Safety Comes First in the Bail Industry
- August 11, 2009
- by Collateral Staff
- Business Tips
Safety first is the most important rule of thumb in the bail industry. Yet despite the best-laid plans, those in the bail industry may find themselves in situations where their safety could be jeopardized. For bail agents and fugitive recovery agents, safety can take the form of reasoning, martial arts or use of weapons. Many of the defense mechanisms bail agents or fugitive recovery agents choose to use are largely based on personality, experience and intuition. When individuals were polled in the AboutBail.com Yahoo! Group regarding the preferred form of self-defense, 40% chose the power of persuasion, 40% chose to carry a weapon and 20% said they rely on street smarts. Still, even the most sensible agent or best negotiator can run into a road block or two. When necessary, agents within the bail industry have been known to apply everything from reasoning to martial arts training to a provoked use of weaponry to keep themselves safe.
The importance of writing quality bonds with strong collateral may help to reduce the likelihood of a skip and also the dangers that are associated with recovering a skip. Although bounty hunters may face threatening situations more often than bail agents, Justin Fine of A Bad Day Bail Bonds in Denver, Colorado commented on the level of safety while writing bonds saying, "We have been uncomfortable and have turned away from writing the bond or then requiring full collateral. It's pretty much a gut thing." The dependency on industry knowledge and good intuition are contributing factors geared towards a safe and successfully completed recovery. "Talking to people is always better than violence," said Fine. Good communication with clients and especially co-signers allows bail agents to maintain a constant connection. The proof is in the pudding for A Bad Day Bail Bonds as Fine expressed his company has had yet to forfeit an entire bond amount since they have been in business. That is not to say that have not had to go in search of a skip, as Fine also admitted to picking up a client at least once a week. When writing bonds, Fine attests that it is important to have all sides covered. Maintaining a team with a strong background in different specialties from marketing to court reporting to sales to collections has provided A Bad Day Bail Bonds with a high success rate.
Bail agents and recovery agents develop their ability to reason and rationalize situations for their clients through experience and confidence gained over the years. Often times, however, a skip is unavoidable. A keen eye trained to analyze each situation and exercising precaution will help keep a recovery agent and their team safe. Charles Robinson of Fugitive Enforcement Agency based in California is a 15-year veteran of fugitive recovery. Robinson notes when dealing with a skip, "Confidence comes with years of experience. Kind of like any trade, the feeling of uncertainty becomes less and less with training and experience." No matter the level of experience an agent possesses, there are the occasional instances when even the most seasoned of veterans feels a little uncomfortable. While feelings of uncertainty vary on case by case, it is crucial to always take precautions. For recovery agents, compiling information from credible sources and creating a broad and ever expanding network of individuals within the industry is a crucial step in the recovery process. As well, completing research and surveillance on the skip and their location may help to eliminate hidden dangers when retrieving clients. By double and triple checking all matters and establishing the safety procedures for recovering skips, Fugitive Recovery Agency maintains an 80% recovery rate, with the remaining 20% due to withheld bond cases. Establishing early diplomacy, acting thoroughly and sustaining a cautious mentality when apprehending individuals helps to ensure safety for the agent while on a job.
Although communication and reasoning are the most desired courses of action for bail and recovery agents, they are unfortunately not always the most applicable. Having a background in martial arts can be beneficial while on the job. Different forms of martial arts, such as taekwondo, t'ai Chi and aikido, are beneficial when dealing with difficult skips. While agents would prefer to not use their martial arts training, it is a way to increase safety and confidence in stressful and dangerous situations. Having martial arts training provides the ability to defend oneself from an aggressive skip who may try to fight the recovery agent. Regardless of training, martial arts and self defense tactics should only be used in circumstances that are reasonable and lawful in each state.
Despite the use of diplomacy and martial arts in fugitive apprehension, weapons are also prevalent in the bail industry. When the AboutBail.com Yahoo! Group members were polled on the necessity to carry a weapon, 75% said they feel the need to carry one, while 25% said they do not. Both bail and recovery agents are known to carry weapons ranging from handcuffs to tasers to hand guns. "I do draw my weapon on a regular basis, but never had to fire. Not to say I never will, so that is why we always continue our training," said Robinson. While bearing arms may be a standard precaution for agents, fire arms safety is just as important. Although fire arms safety courses are not required by law, many agents still find it valuable to regularly participate in fire arm training at a local sheriff's department. Not all weapons that agents carry are as lethal as a gun. Many of the defense devices that are on hand or used by agents are the same as law enforcement agents and may include tasers, batons, pepper spray, pepper ball guns or bean bag guns. In any situation, a common code used among agents is to only use lethal force after a threat is made from an individual that is to be apprehended. "If fired on we would have to fire back, but there has to be a lethal engagement first, there are rules," said Robinson. Whether a lethal or non-lethal weapon is necessary as a final resort, it is crucial for agents to maintain control and make safety a priority at all times.
At any time a bail or recovery agent must be prepared to use their experience to reason through situations, their defensive tactics to prevent potentially harmful situations or their skills with various weapons to protect themselves during threatening situations. Years of experience and industry knowledge and know-how are sustainable factors for agents within the industry. To expect the unexpected is an understatement as far as agents are concerned. At any one moment an agent must be prepared to think rationally, reason through the situation at hand and provide enforcement while sustaining a safe environment for all parties involved. Preparation, determination and maintaining a level head are crucial to a successful day in the field. As it goes to show, when an agent is well versed in the many facets of defense tactics, safety is no longer a question but a discipline.
