When you started off in the fugitve recovery business

Thanks hounddog, I appreciate the response. But what about other things. like for instance, a person that is on a most wanted list. Do you go after them to collect a reward if its offered? Say for instance John no name just got a warrant issed for his arrest for whatever, you spot him at a quick chek food store, do you apprehend him? Only because there is a reward? Or do it in general and not get a reward, unless there is by chance he broke a bail bond agreement.

In general if there is a reward offered it is for informatiion that causes his arrest and conviction so...... A: you can call the police to arrest him and get a reward or.... B: as a citizen if it is a felony charge you can make a citizens arrest but, I advise against this if it is at all possible let Law Enforcement make the arrest.

I would not go through Most Wanted lists and look for people that is going to get individuals in trouble. Those lists are for public information leading to the defendants arrest and convictioin and all of them say "DO NOT TRY TO APPREHEND" call your local police department and that is very good advice.

If the defendant is wanted by a Bail Bondsman I would make sure that I had an agreement on payment before I did anything and, if you are just doing it to do it then the public will look at you as a vigiliante which is not good for this industry.

Try contacting a local Bail Bondsman and ask him if he could use your services and get a file to work on, this is the best for all involved as far as looking for fugitives to start off with.

I am still baffled by the guys that say that age, being in good physical condition and being able to handle physical situations is not a major factor in this work. While I whole heartedly agree that MOST cases can be worked out in a civilized manner with proper respect between both parties, I still wind up tangling with at least three guys a month.
I know some of you guys say call local and let them handle it. But here they do notlike to get involved, they insist that you call and let them know what is going on, but usually do not want to get involved.

So being in good physical condition, and at an age that will allow you to tangle with these guys (and girls) is a major requirement for letting people work with me. I do not want to come around a corner and find my partner lying passed out on the ground because his heart could not handle it. Me I'm 35, 5-11 178 pounds. Not a stereotypical "Bounty Hunter" image as determined by Hollywood, but I am trained in martial arts, and can pass any military or police PT requirements. As well I have extensive firearms training.

Do not get me wrong. I am not a "trigger happy cowboy". As stated earlier, I believe in trying to resolve things peacefully,but I am in the 11th highest crime rate in the country with a lot of gangs and a lot of drugs, so these guys do not always play nice. So you have got to be prepared to defend yourself and sometimes that means being capable of taking an offensive stance.

_________________
Dustin Thompson
La. Lic. #309685
Louisiana Fugitive Task Force
318-393-5385
"What the hell was that?"

I agree with you Dustin, I think you missed the point of what I was trying to say and the way this thread started.

more sarcasum coming people---when i became a cop i was 5-9 225lbs played a little varsity football and was bullet proof in 1988 when i was forced to retire after line of duty injury still 5-9 240 no longer bullet proof-rt knee plastic right hip and pelvis shattered and healing--now 51 years old rt knee still plastic rt hip and pelvis hurts like hell at times 300 lbs--takes 5 times longer to heal than just 10 years ago same injury hurts way more and my 23 year old son thinks that i was around when dinosours walked the earth--feels like it sometimes--here is what i consider key to survival in todays bea enviroment--the name is team and tactics--we use what is called surround and drown-put large people around the skip-cut off escape route and use tonnage to effect arrest

as you can imagine my running is maybe 2 steps--but 2 of my people will run down a gazelle-my son greg 23 is 5-7 dead lift 300lbs and can leg lift 1000 lbs
seth is a personal trainer can run like the wind is 5-11 and monster strong

greg can shoot 2 1/2 groups at 50 years with his sig 220 45 and 1.5 inch groups at 100 yards with his m4 ar 15 and 4 inch groups at 600 years with his 7 mm ultra mag
seth is also excellant with a handgun and ar

stacy plays with 600 granite curbing and has the stamina to out fight a grizzly bear and not to bad with his sig

john just returned from iraq -he was doing convoy protection -he is a sargent with the army rangers

old fat me i just watch --just kidding--i do not care who it is i will break 8 bones with my baton before you land one hit-also not to bad with my kimber or custom colt commander in 45--my specialty is shotgun--at ranges exceeding 50 yeards i could put 7 rounds of 00 buck dead center also not bad up 125 years with slugs can extend alittle to maybe 150 years if needed also good with ar out to 200 yards

we all are good with pepper spray and baton and taser

main thing we work on group tactics coordinated entry from all sides multi person search pattern multi person subject control and handcuffing--we use tactics to limit our exposure to physical force--in the last approx 300 arrests i believe we had 3 escape by running none by physical force as a matter of fact we have had people turn themselves in saying the body snatchers are going to kill him

the escapes happened because our plan was exacuted sloppy-we did not cover the residence as well as we thought

we had one car chase in the same time (it was late night with no police coverage in the town we were in)subject tried to run down my people i got angry and out drove the subject and effected the arrest after my people pulled him from the suv--THIS SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN DONE AND I WILL NOT LET MY EMOTIONS TAKE OVER AGAIN--THIS IS A SURE WAY OF CAUSING HARM AND INJURY TO INNOCENT BYSTANDERS

AGAIN I SAY THE BEST TOOLS WE HAVE IS A WORKING BRAIN AND EXPERIANCE--THOSE TWO ITEMS ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN ALL THE GUNS AND STRENGTH IN THE WORLD--IF WE USE GUNS AND OR STRENGTH EITHER THE BRAIN OR OUR EXPERIANCE OR OUR TRAINING FAILED US--BY THE WAY USING THE BRAIN AND EXPERIANCE AND TRAINING ALSO LIMITS LIABILITY

bump

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Do not consider anything for your interest which makes you break your word, quit your modesty, or inclines you to any practice which will not bear the light, or look the world in the face .... Marcus Antonius

I AM Some Folks "KARMA" and A MODERATOR @ FRN

Criminals suck.. the environment they thrive in is filth. During the summer its hott as hati and your in gear waiting for the police to show up and sieze the illegal firearms/drugs/take people to jail and living in West Virginia, it seems like there is a firearm in every place I go in(legal or illegal). Better yet...when I get guys from Wayne county M.I, The courts wont extradite,So I have to either wait for the bondsman to come or meet em half way.I love the job thou..Its always pretty bad ass to get to work with law-enforcement. I met some U.S Marshals throu a local sheriff deputy thats on a FTF and he gives me some pointers/advice. So overall id say that the B.S is worth the reward. (PS) Forget fighting with these guys I carry a taser

I will add, being a "oldish fart" that young and strong is a good start. You must have experience though to know exactly when to use your head and not brawn. My partner and i have done aaround 35-40 arrests over 3 years alot of the time we are able to get them into the office without even searching. I call this the, If you cant dazzle them with brilliancy then baffle them with bullshit theory. There is other times I have used straight up door kicks. We must remember how we are precieved by our peers, LEO and the public for us to be able to continue to do our jobs. Everytime someone gets bit for doing something excessive or just palin stupid in the job we all get bit. It is the same and all jobs one bad bank they are all bad, one bad cop, ect..............

_________________
Mike
Norcal Bail Enforcement
San Jose Ca.
360 237 1721 efax
408 402 2710 work cell
DOI Bail Agent Lic 1844214
BSIS G1533544

Go hug a Tree

Maybe you are looking for that type of action??... me...... I like reading about those stories, not enacting them.

I am old, fat and have had both knees replaced, 3 back operations... I can't run, but I know how to use a telephone... and I am extremely good at talking my way out of most situations... and I have some very large, experienced, interesting friends that will come to my aid on a moments notice... even when I was young, big and bad and after 12 years of extensive martial arts training and a lot of pretty belts on the wall... I always knew that the next corner could produce someone... bigger and badder than me. I am now an 'egg mcmuffin'.

There is an old saying............ "Just because you are big don't mean you are bad..." Physical works fine in football and cage fighting... brainpower and thinking power will always win over brawn... every time... that is why we are at the top of the food chain and not the lions, tigers and bears.

As your years increase, your testosterone level will unfortunately decrease... not all at once... you may not even realize it... then one morning you will wake up, look in the mirror and say... "I don't think I will get in a fight today... I think I will have a cup of coffee and call my backup..." on that day you will have matured a lot more... and you may live a lot longer and have a lot fewer mishaps in this profession...

In 10 or more years in this business, I may have picked up a few skips and I can not think of one single one that got physical with me.... not one.... (they may have run, but not toward me) maybe I am lucky and then again... maybe I am using something that many cannot fathom.... a bit more brainpower.... and frankly... I'm not really that smart... just smart enough to know my limitations and react to those facts...

Remember this if nothing else.................... There is no really good reason to get in a physical confrontation with someone... even if they seem to start it... you can react in a manner that is smarter... step around and behind your backup... unless of course you have no backup ............. then just shoot for center mass.... you know the saying... "Never start a fight with an old man... if he can't whip you, he will just shoot you."

Ghee, did I just erase all my advice with the last sentence... uh, disregard that... I always talk myself into and out of advice whenever possible... hopefully this post still has a bit of wisdom in it.... maybe.

_________________
Bill Marx, Sr.
"FREE STATE BAIL BONDS"
"FREE STATE INVESTIGATIONS"
DCJS: 99-176979
Cell: 434-294-0222

"Endeavor to Persevere" "Lone Watie"

"Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that , comes from bad judgment" "Will Rogers"