Guns and Drugs

Technically and legally speaking, the above advice all sounds good.
However, IMHO, I respectfully disagree except for where children are concerned. That always changes case dynamics.

If it's just adults, then all you are doing is the job of the cops and making yourself a target of the fugitive and their friends n families. If you cause a defendant to catch more charges because of your reporting to dispatch, who do you think the defendant wants to extract payback from ?

Let's say your defendant has only non-violent misdemeanor criminal history. Yet you re-apprehend him/her at a known drug house where you openly see drugs n guns. You do all the stuff listed above (by the way, who is going to pay you for all those man hours ?) and cause your defendant to catch major felonies when all he/she was trying to do was buy some pot. Now their life is ruined....who becomes the hunted then ? You have now placed your entire family, friends, etc. in harms way. All for what ? A few attaboys from the local cop shop ?

Stay mission focused. Grab your target, transport to jail, deposit in jail, get paperwork signed off, collect paycheck. That simple...nothing more, nothing less.

Please feel free to contact me if I may ever be of assistance.

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River City Associates
Decatur, Al. 35601

I do agree with you, as well as agree with the others. That is why I say it is a delicate situation. Not all the cases are the same. I have yet (knock on wood) had a Defendant get upset with anything where Law Enforcement had to be called in. I'm not looking for attaboys or a bigger check. I try to look at every aspect of the case at hand. What were the charges? Who is involved? Are there children? What are the needs of the Bondsman? The Indemnitors? There is a reason why my slogan below is what it is. I am not an Officer of any agency. But, I do follow what is asked of me, within reason and capability. Not just by the Client, but the Surety, the Local Agencies, etc. My primary goal is to get the Defendant back in jail. Any secondary requests will only be met if lawfully, legally, and if safety permits. I am not a big fan of destroying "evidence". I will, however, over look evidence if necessary (depending on the cooperation of the Defendant, and the safety of my self and my associates).


Sometimes, we have to be the bigger person, and help the Defendant in ways they may not like. No case is the same, and each case must be handled with careful tactics and precision.

My professionalism is that I will not do what Law Enforcement can't do. There is no grey area. I keep files on everything I do. Some may not like my tactics, but it has worked for me. Professionalism is extremely important to everyone here. We teach other as well as learn from each other as well every day.

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Timothy Soule
Soule & Associates Investigations
Sheridan, WY
307-763-3134

"As Professional Bail Enforcement Agents, we secure the Risk of the Surety by lawfully protecting the interest of not only the safety and security of our Clients and their Surety Agencies, but their Indemnitors and Defendants as well."

I'm leaving children out of the mix on this one but going to give my opinion and my experience on this topic.
My job is simple. Apprehend the skip without incident and place them in jail, have the prper paperwork signed and leave.

I'm not getting into police work. If I find drugs or anything else illegal it stays and the skip goes with me.
On the putting ourselves, friends family etc in danger. If I worried about that I'd never leave the house. I've run into many that I've apprehended and not once have I had a problem. Well, the occassional stare or tough guy look but who cares, just don't touch.

Anyways, just feel like giving opinions tonight.

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Bill Williams
Bail Agent
Eagle Bonding Services
Asheville NC 28804
828-777-8667
Lic # NC10013561
Lic # TN 2033018

Never be haughty to the humble
or humble to the haughty - Jefferson Davis

Well I did say . . . . Others will be along directly to let you know their own personal opinions.

And some fine ones there have been

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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

OP: The main phrase you're seeing is important, "scope of the recovery". Your only concerns should be your safety and recovering the defendant.

I have a fairly simple way of looking at it when I search a bailjumper's person before placing them in the vehicle:

DRUGS: Not my problem, not my concern!
Pot? pour some soda on it and throw it in the trash. Meth? pour some soda on it and throw it in the trash. Coke? pour some soda on it and throw it in the trash. Crack? put in a small bag, stomp it, pour some soda on it, and throw it in the trash. (If you look for it, you might find a pattern there )

GUNS: Not my problem, not my concern!
Unload it and leave it alone.

MONEY: This I deal with differently.
If at the skip's residence, I usually ask them if they want their cash left at their residence, or if they want it to remain on their person so that they will have some money on the books right away. Credit cards and debit cards I don't care about, but cash is pulled and counted in front of an witness. If not at the skip's residence, they keep everything on them.

SCRIPT MEDS: Prescription meds I will let them keep on their person. It can take up to 72 hours for the jails around here to get someone their medicines, and taking their meds off their person could be a liability.

(Every facet of a recovery should be treated as a potential liability, especially when it comes to property.)

CHILDREN: I had to figure out how to deal with that about a year ago, I had a simple plan: capture the skip, and if children were going to be left unattended, I would let dispatch know that there children there who would probably need temporary placement (I always talk with county dispatch on planned runs.). Then they can send a social worker out to deal with clean up.

Now, when I bring a skip to the jail, upon arrival, I ask them once in the car if they have anything they do not want to take in with them. I take them out of the car and once the door is shut, I give them one more chance.

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(Freelance) Recovery Agent, MN.

Well I’m glad most of you Liberals are not on the west coast. Please by all means turn a blind eye to a felon in possession of a firearm. I sure when they rebail the next day they won’t use that gun to commit another crime. Like the murder of a peace officer. But I’m sure none of you have ever thrown your white gloves on the casket of your dead partner. “But, but that’s not what I’m paid to do.” That what’s wrong with this country. “It’s not my job. I didn’t see anything. I got paid that’s all that matters.”
If your afraid you will hurt someone feelings because they catch another case, maybe your in the wrong biz. I glad you’re not my neighbor. “Oh I saw someone breaking into your house but I didn’t call the cops. I was afraid I might run into them someday.”
I keep forgetting there are few ex-cops on this forum. I guess I’m on the wrong forum

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SheepDog562
All over the left coast.
Anytime, anywhere.

You are assuming that all recoveries are of "felons" . . . that is not always true. I assure you, should a "felon" be found in possession of a firearm it will not be treated lightly.

However it is not what any are paid to do when it is a Misdemeanor and to assume that just because a civilian that has a misdemeanor warrant and has a firearm, will commit a heinous crime is just . . . well it is really reaching and only someone with a very "liberal" view would assume something like that. Kinda like Boxer and Fienstein (sic) . . . but I do believe most those kind of folks are either in, NYC (fans of Bloomberg) or Cali (pretty much all), and some of the other Left Coast areas (got some real Libtard family members of in WA, they hold to the opinion of , that if you have a gun you must be a raving killer), those of us in the Heartland (N and S) have a whole different view.

Now, come to where I live and I promise you if someone sees someone breaking into a house not only is the Law called that someones ass is being "covered" til the Law gets there . . . ain't no Libtards 'round here and those that are . . . well they can watch their own houses

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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

This thread is starting to get interesting. We are all learning how each of us handle the situation In the end we all agree on the same thing...

It all depends on the circumstances of each case on how we all deal with it.

It is a great way to learn from each other and understand how it is done with each recovery agent/bondsman in their AOs. We all agree that none of us are police officers (though some in Texas could be, lol), but we all have developed our own routines that best protect us, the clients, defendants, and indemnitors. And that is what matters the most, next to going home every night safely

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Timothy Soule
Soule & Associates Investigations
Sheridan, WY
307-763-3134

"As Professional Bail Enforcement Agents, we secure the Risk of the Surety by lawfully protecting the interest of not only the safety and security of our Clients and their Surety Agencies, but their Indemnitors and Defendants as well."

Out of curiosity, does anyone else place a defendants personal belongings that they take with them in a container sealed with 'property' tape that the defendant writes their signature across? Or Lists their personal items on a property sheet that the defendant signs?

We used to do the latter, now we do both because a lady accused my wife of taking her earnings by removing the tape and going though her stuff. Then putting the tape back.

Also, does anyone remove a defendants belt before transporting?

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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

The best CYA answer is to divest them of all valuables accept an ID and transport them that way. I leave everything where they were apprehended, because I don't trust the jails either. I have a change of custody form that will illustrate any valuables they have in their possession upon surrender. Be careful how you write things, there is a difference between a gold watch and a watch that is gold in color.

Scott

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R.E. "Scott" MacLean III

"Leaders are like Eagles, you never see them in a flock, but one at a time"

Chesapeake Group Investigations, Inc.
Chesapeake Bail Bonds
877-574-0500
301-392-1100 (fax)
301-392-1900 (Office)