Newbies are SCARY

I was at a jail posting a bond about 3:00am this morning and 2 newbies brought in an FTA. It was a guy and girl in their very early 20's from what I could tell. The guy told the deputy that they were bringing in an FTA and that they had tried to run her on NCIC earlier but the system was down so the jail would have to do it.

The female newbie then passed the folder from the bondsman under the glass. The deputy said that it was her file, right, and she identified the bondsman. I already had a suspicion who it was but that confirmed it. The girl they brought in was a stripper at one of the local clubs. I only know this because the deputy asked where she worked and they had a hard time conveying the information.

The guy then turned to the FTA and told her that (name withheld) had followed them and that he was going to go out and "pop" him for a DUI, aiding and abetting, and harboring. He then told her not to worry, that she would never see him because they did not bring in male and female prisoners at the same time. The guy went outside and came in a few minutes later empty-handed but never said another word. When I left the jail I saw (I assume) the person they were talking about outside on his cell phone.

I know this is not funny, but it was all I could do to keep a straight face and not call him a total idiot while listening to the BS this guy was spouting. Neither of the deputies said anything either, but since these newbies work for the highest volume bondsman in the area they tend to let him get by with things they shouldn't.

This guy has only had his "certification" for about a month. I know this because he has called the bondsman that I write for several times and at one point told him that he had only been doing it for 3 weeks and had made over 80 "pops" for the other bondsman in 2 weeks. With a 25% jump rate, we have done the same for him in the past. This other bondsman pays about $200 a week for staff BEA so he can't get anyone with any experience to work for him. He gets them fresh and as soon as they can, they leave. We have done quite a bit of work for him in the past but he only calls when he's desparate cos we don't work for peanuts. He has also been known to use uncertified people and we busted him out on that one time.

Granted, CO doesn't have the strictest requirements, only a 16 hour book course and 15 years felony free, but this is ridiculous. We just got our course registered with the state so we can start training and I guarantee that applicants will be screened thoroughly before we allow them to take the course and field trained for at least 6 months before we will allow them to even think about doing any real work with our team. I would welcome stricter state requirements for both BEA and bond regulation! CO allows a 15% maximum premium on a bond. This guy and some others write for as little as 4%, sometimes with almost nothing down and poor collateral. I would love to see something like what happened in CA happen here.

So for you way more experienced than me, how many laws do you think this kid broke???????

_________________
Kathy Blackshear
Blackshear Investigations
Blackshear Bail Bonds
Sales Associate, Prepaid Legal Services, Inc.
Walsenburg, CO

Proud Member of the AB Reject Club

Our Colorado team has had a hard time getting work from there because of all the newbies being spit out of those schools and then working for 5% or less. I am not shure when the bonding companies will wake up.... have they not had enough bad exposure as of late.

I've heard similar stories for many years... even worse. We are fortunate in the northeast. NH has only three bonding agencies and we (our team) has them all making for just enough work to keep the adrenaline flowing.

When Acme Bail Bonds (a/k/a/ Capital Bonding) went under (thanks in part to HGUNNER and myself) Harco Insurance contracted with some PI's to pick up their skips but that has about petered out and probably gone by now; there will be or is no longer any work for them.

Then there have been some who advertised they pick up skips in NH but that isn't true... they have no license for NH and if they chase a skip here and get caught they will be arrested.

Then, on the cusp, there have been some who have tried to cull work from our bail agencies from everything to quoting a lower rate to bad-mouthing us... they were promptly laughed at by all concerned and only managed to insure they never get work here even if I died.

One of our bail agencies also has an office in Vermont trat we get approximately 10 cases per year. Since Vermont only has two agencies we have 50% of that market... the one Vermont based agency we do not work for is because we have refused him on a couple of occasions (we have our reason(s). The same bail agency we have in Vermont will soon have an office in Maine... they will be the only Surety in that state so I can say we will soon have 100% of that market (much to the chagrin of some I know).

Being in the northeast we don't have the volume of bail skips that other states have but we are quite comfortable with the numbers... we average 90 to 100 skips per year... in 2004 it was 93 of which we gathered up 87.

So those of you who have 'newbie' problems... you have my sincerest hopes it will one day be resolved.

_________________
Lance Allen Wilkinson
Recoveries by L.A.W.
Serving since 1984
“What is sought is found... what is overlooked escapes” (Oedipus Rex)

I work here in Vermont and what Lance just said about work out here is true! Some states from what I have heard get two to three skips a week! We only get about 1 every other month if were lucky!

Mr. Stewart works for the one agency our team does not deal with.

_________________
Lance Allen Wilkinson
Recoveries by L.A.W.
Serving since 1984
“What is sought is found... what is overlooked escapes” (Oedipus Rex)

Wow, here in Missouri I get about 10 a week. I have had my slow times but it averages about 10 a week.

_________________
After all is said and done, more is said than done.



-X-
St. Louis, MO
FRN#2
Member of The C.B.C

It’s sad but true. Sometimes I get skips from other Agents that come around here! 10 a week sounds likes my dream come true!

Be Safe!