Badges and Demarcation - What does your state allow

In Virginia.... I have a 3X5 photo ID, laminated with a little clip on deal that I put on my shirt collar sometimes but not always. We are supposed to 'announce' ourselves.... "Bail bonds"... when we knock on a door... however, I must admit... that does not happen often... at least not until the door gets opened...

Other states, surrounding us.... NC, WVA... and a few others that I think adhere to the same policy... we are supposed to notify LE when hunting in their area... I always do, but I know others that do not....

I have told stories about knocking on doors and saying "Pizza Hut".... or "Mail delivery" or something similar... not sure of the legal ramifications on that but... it has opened doors often and I have never kicked or physically, verbally or otherwise abused anyone... I have put my hands on a few but only if it was evident that it was a necessity ... and they knew the deal.

I have attached my small badge to my belt and I have carried a weapon... usually in the open on my side with the badge in front... on the belt... but not too often... if I have any indication that the pickup is gonna turn in that direction... I will always notify LE of the situation and I have never had them turn me down... they may not be in front of me but they are standing close-by and in plain view of the skip, which tends to quieten them down.



I have never found it necessary to use physical force to any degree to bring in a fugitive... of course... I never went after Jesse James or Cole Younger... but I did arrest a really bad boy fugitive wanted for stealing a pair of 'whitie tightes' from JC Penneys.... who then tried to hit me with his purse... one time... I bound his hands with a plastic tie/tie.... and he gave me no more trouble.... but it was touch and go there for a minute or two.... it took him almost a minute to catch me... I would have outrun him but one of my flip-flops came off while running across the parking lot... and the elastic broke in my shorts..... and that old lady pulled out in front of me with her shopping cart.... but I almost got away from him..................................

_________________
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"

The reason I wear a badge and dress profesional (khakis and a black polo, some say it might look like a cop), isn't for the benefit of the people that I'm after, but for the benefit of myself if/when the police show up.

My background comes from loss prevention. I had a subject get away because tow people pulled us apart thinking we were just people fighting. I also had a county parking enforcement vehicle cut me off while chasing a guy across a parking lot. In that instance I did have a badge out but I was wearing baggy jeans, a T-shirt and I hadn't shaved in a couple of days. I was working a grocery store in a lower economic part of the town. The enforcement gal didn't see the badge. I also had shoplifters say, "I only fought because I thought I was getting jumped." Bullshit, he fought because he had a bottle of vodka down his pants and knew he was caught. However with my physical appearance in those stores, it could be believable.

Now that I work LP for a company where I spend most of my time on cameras, I wear 5.11 khaki pants, various polo shirts, and I shave. I had an off duty cop come up and help me with an arrest. After the fact he said, "I saw a guy in 5.11s running, I figured he probably needed an assist."



Based on these experiences, now when I'm out after a fugitive, I wear khaki pants and my black polo with a badge, not so that I look like a cop, but so that if a cop does show up, I don't look like a suspect.

_________________
Demian Ross
Acacia Consulting Group
916.241.FIND(3463)
1.877.556.3678
California PC1299 Compliant Fugitive Recovery
Process Serving
Mobile Notary
Security Consulting

We must notify law enforcement prior to do ANYTHING in the area. Don't even drive by the location until you have notified law enforcement. Some jurisdictions require you to go to the police station in person. Failing to do so once, is a misdemeanor. Failing to do so after that is a felony.

We cannot misrepresent ourselves. Telling a person we are there to deliver an item, or repair their heating or air conditioner will get us in trouble with the state. If the state places you under investigation because a citizen complained, you are done until the state has ended their investigation.

Our IDs are not provided by the state but required by the state. We produce the id's for all of our agents so they are uniform, and along with their full name and photo ID a color copy of their license in reduced size is displayed underneath it.

Repeatedly returning to a location can get you in trouble for harassing the residents.

Our agents all wear a badge which says 'Surety Recovery Agent'. Thats the title the state gives us and at the bottom of each badge is the agents license number. The badges aren't cheap, and each one is a one of a kind because of the license number.

We all carry the X2 semi-auto TASER. It's a beast and you can't hide it under a coat or shirt. We carry them openly because it's much faster to holster the TASER and place restraints on a defendant than trying to get your cover garment out of the way to holster it. Trying to hide it is almost impossible.

We all wear body armor on the outside of our shirts. Setting in a hot car for 5 hours with your armor on under a shirt seems futile. It goes on quick, as does a raid jacket/vest.

We wear a large reflective patch on our jackets/vests hoping that law enforcement won't shoot us thinking we are robbing the place like they did in Florida. Criminals sometimes have no issues shooting a police officer. They give even less thought to shooting a bail agent.

Knowing your defendant is one thing. DO NOT underestimate what his/her friends, neighbors, wife, husband, girl friend, boyfriend, 2nd cousin, etc.. might do when you walk in. I have had defendants practically put the restraints on themselves, all the while my wife is trying to keep his deranged girlfriend out of the room. Restrain/search and leave as quick as you can.

We have no intentions of representing ourselves as law enforcement in any capacity. If the general public sees a person with an id or badge, and a firearm on his hip and assumes that person is a police officer, I can't help that. But I can promise you we will be the most courteous, professional, and helpful ASSUMED police officer they have ever seen.

We always look for the SAFEST method to apprehend. There isn't always a cookie cutter way to do everything. Having your wife and kids as part of your recovery team will put safety into a whole new light.

_________________
Jeff D.
Gauntlet Professional Services
Fugitive Recovery, Bail Bonds, Process Servers, Investigations, Security, Training,
State Approved Courses for POST and DIFP
Located in Central/Southwest Missouri/St. Louis/Kansas City
417.309.0582

NO Badges here . . . . Unless you want to go to Jail for Impersonation.

One must always remember . . . . "The Reasonable Man in the room" and what "he" will be seeing and reporting from that Stand.
This cannot be stressed enough no matter what your AO is and what your State Laws are.

Do not report to LE . . . SHALL be guilty of a Class D Felony (do not know where due process went on that one, but obviously they feel that since you are supposed to know the Laws you work under)well hell, it is what it is.

If a Raid Jacket or anything of the like, is worn during an "investigation (ie, Interview) . . . the ONLY wording can be . . . Bail Bond Agent . . . anything else . . . you are toast

I am very low key, I roll up, you might as well get your shyt, cuz you are going to Jail. Period.

All I hear when I roll up and knock is . . . "oh man, Miss LuVonda, I am so sorry" and then they get in my van and off we go. If it is supper time we stop at a burger drivethru and then off to the Jail we go for a smoke in the parking lot and their reservation at the Inn.
In my 12 years doing this, I have only had a couple that I wanted to be ugly to and actually told them to STFU. But the referrals still flow . . . Never lie and treat them with the respect I would want one of my family members to be treated with.

_________________


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

Now I have to admit, that is good advice.... and frankly... I also dress appropriately... most of the time... the Disneyland attire is only on rare occasions... but it is a good story line........... and when in court or on a bond call I certainly do not dress appropriately.... The Pizza Hut thing is something I have used with success maybe 3 times... I do understand the misrepresentation here but it certainly won't get me confused with saying... "Open up... its the police!!"... and frankly, if in court, the defendant says to the judge... "he said he was the pizza hut man..."... I figure that will fly higher than... "he said he was a cop!!"... and might even get a smile... maybe...



I believe that is the bottom line in this business...


I have but one more comment on you guys (and gals maybe)... you all must live in Dodge City or Tombstone... because every story that I hear out of about 75% of you is how rough the skips are and how you guys get into physical altercations all... that's most of the time... I just don't see it in my AO.... even when I go to other states to do pickups... maybe my bonds are being written on just plain ole easy goin' folks.... I just have never had to use that much physical force in my recoveries.... frankly, I can only remember maybe two or three times that I had to put my hands on someone in a very forceful manner.... oh sure, I put the cuffs on most, but not all.. and the shackles on some and the chains on some ... but not many... all I can say is ... I'm glad I live in 'Hicksville' or Mayberry.... 99% of the skips I deal with simply go quietly....

... in fact, my job is so mundane and boring that I have to make up a lot of this sh*t to have something to write about and to stay on par with all you bad boys.............
YEEEE HHHAAAAA !!!

_________________
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"

Howdy Folks!
Funny thing is, back in the 70's, I heard that you could get pot pretty easily up in Aspen. So off we went to Aspen to get some. Okay, so I was in my nefarious period of life! What can I say, I scored more than a few transgressions in my younger years. It was a time of general miscreancy on my part. I got over it.

Anyhow, nobody would part with any. I got word eventually that folks took one look at me and immediately suspected I was a cop. Wasn't true, but that's what they figured. Where they'd get that notion is a bewilderment to me to this very day.

I wore no badge, no gun, no taser, nor anything coplike. I did adorn myself with blue jeans, an old pair of Dan Post boots, a western shirt and a Stetson ensconced on my skullcap. Still, I was regarded with jaundiced suspicion.

Never dressed up all SWATlike, never attired myself with a tactical vest or helmet, never gave any evidence of anything LEOish. Still, they got that suspicion.

Might've been my bearing, or how I carried myself, I don't know.

Now that I've been clean and sober since September 1st of 1989, I'm still trying to figure that one out!

Some folks will suspect you're a cop regardless of external factors. They get pretty convinced of the concept when a badge comes into view. Guess it depends on who you're trying to take down how overt you'd care to be. I like the low impact style myself, and prefer things to go smooth and easy!
Mel!

_________________
Mel Edington, Fugitive Recovery Agent
CDOI 2011-117
Colorado Private Investigator,
DORA PI10000052
Athame Investigations,
division of Colorado Bounty Hunter LLC
Aurora, Colorado
303-343-7111 Office
303-319-1077 Cell
303-366-3189 Fax

Available for Fugitive Recovery, Process Service, Investigation and Legal Courier Service.

I dress in a head-to-toe ninja outfit. That way it looks less suspicious when I'm grappling up the side of an apartment building to a skip's balcony. You do that in dress clothes and people freak out.

_________________
(Freelance) Recovery Agent, MN.

Awesome !

_________________


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

That's hysterically funny right there! I can just conjure an image of you scrabbling up the wall all ninjafied looking, much to the chagrin of the hapless skip!

PRICELESS!!!
Mel

_________________
Mel Edington, Fugitive Recovery Agent
CDOI 2011-117
Colorado Private Investigator,
DORA PI10000052
Athame Investigations,
division of Colorado Bounty Hunter LLC
Aurora, Colorado
303-343-7111 Office
303-319-1077 Cell
303-366-3189 Fax

Available for Fugitive Recovery, Process Service, Investigation and Legal Courier Service.

My Disneyland outfit is great for those falls from balconies and when I get thrown through windows and on the occasions that I have to trip and fall face down on the concrete... in front of a bunch of good looking women... and also when my undercover, ninja style bicycle hits a curb in front of 200 people and I hit the grass after the seat of my shorts rips open... or also, after I have told 20 of my biker buddies in Myrtle Beach what an expert I am at riding... over 50 years without a mishap and then I get on the bike and it turns over in the middle of the road and they come out and set me in a chair and hand me another beer and just smile.... yep.... my outfit... fits right in....

_________________
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"