Information given to NC Bail Agents. Please read!!

The North Carolina Bail Agents Association has emailed the following statement to NC Bail Agents.

"IT HAS BEEN PASSED ALONG TO THE BOARD MEMBERS FROM A SLED AGENT IN SOUTH CAROLINA, THAT BONDSMAN SHOULD NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES BE IN THE POSSESSION OF A FIREARM WHILE RECOVERING SKIPS. THIS APPLIES EVEN IF THEY HAVE A CONCEALED CARRY PERMIT FROM A RECIPROCATING STATE."

The above sounds crazy to me, but until I find out otherwise I'll be unarmed while making re-arrests in SC. As of now I have found no South Carolina Statute to back up this SLED agent's advice. Sounds like a good way to get killed to me. If further information is found or given I'll pass it along on FRN.

_________________
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

I have recovered in SC a number of times... several years ago... 6 or 7 I think... myself, my son and my son in law... all licensed Virginia bondsmen... went to Myrtle Beach to recover two skips I had... we entered the state and upon arriving in MB... we (actually I did it) went to the local LE and showed our paperwork... the first question they asked was... "are you armed"... well, we had weapons in the vehicle but not on us... I think since that time, SC has lightened up on the carry laws although i am not sure of what states are reciprocal other than those shown on the normal websites.

My son and son n law had to do a little 'out of the car' surveillance in a pretty rough section of MB... around 2am... Sunday morning.... I stayed in the car cause I was scared... (well actually, I got to hide in the bushes... mainly cause I had to pee... ) ... but anyway... we all were packin'... we found only one of the skips although later we got the other in NC... Wilmington as I recall... and we were packin then too.... but I think we were legal in NC at the time.

I might also mention we did a recovery one time in Fayetteville and the lady (the skips gfriend) called the cops on us as we were taking him into custody and a swat team showed up and made everyone get on the ground... we were all carrying but after they looked at our paperwork, they let us continue... in fact, after we got the skip in our car... we all stood around and shot the breeze with the swat team... pretty neat... but we were very cooperative and did not give them any grief... (I don't usually argue with big ugly men who have automatic weapons and bullet proof vests)...

What is legal is not always acceptable by the LE that you run into... I try to play it safe and stay unarmed but close at hand... whether to carry or not is simply, as I always say... a "value judgement".

I have been very lucky in my 13 years, I have never had a problem with LE in any capacity... but then, I play by their rules and that usually gets me what I need....

I would question what this guy is saying but it would give me pause.... I know how careful you are Bill... so you again must make that... "value judgement"...

_________________
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"

While this SLED agent gave this "advice" I must say I was in Spartanburg SC not too long ago looking for a guy that skipped from NC. A cop rolled up on me and asked what I was doing in the area. (the area was drug and thug infested) I told him I was looking for a skip, showed him my paperwork and credentials which were all in order. As he was leaving he asked if I was armed, I stated yes I was, he replied, "in this area, you better be"". I don't know where this SLED officer is coming from but this sounds ridiculous to me...If anybody has any additional info on this please let us know...This is a new one on me.

BTW, while set up on the house that I believed my skip to be in, a lady came by about 3am and asked if I wanted to buy a pork chop. It was wrapped in a paper towel and she wanted 3 bucks for it...Absolute truth!! I declined.

_________________
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

how hard would it be for a VA licensed BEA to go to NC to pick up a skip? is it as simple as letting local LE know then arresting him, or is it tightly sanctioned like texas

_________________
Location: Stafford,Fredericksburg Virginia
Cell: Just ask
Training: Accredited Security Training - Fredericksburg, Va
Email: J.austinbea@live.com
Always eager, always willing, all hail the power of Google
DCJS: #99-295456

... short answer... no, it isn't like Texas... however....

There is no easy answer to your questions Mr. Austin.... every jurisdiction is different... not only the state laws but every jurisdiction has a different application of them... everyone has had different results and unfortunately the thing to remember in this business is very simply.... "The rule of thumb is... there is no rule of thumb"...

The best advice I can offer you is to research each states laws as pertains to what you have in mind... and then, after you have developed a plan of action... plan for everything to go wrong... because after all is said and done... in our business... it can and will happen.

That is not to discourage you but to try and enlighten you and prepare you for the real world in this business....

All the info you seek is available online... national, state and local laws are there for the ones that know how to look and in this business... you have to be able to research and form plans based on your findings.

I have personally done things that I was told would be impossible... I have seen others do the same... and then from the other end of the spectrum, I have seen things that should have been a breeze, turn into a complicated nightmare that ruined all plans.

Trust no ones advice, even mine... check out everything that you are told and then form your own opinion based on fact... facts... facts... not others opinions... facts that you have verified.

The single most important word in this business, IMHO... is "INFORMATION".

Do the research yourself, find the answers and form your plan. I personally will contact LE upon entering a particular area and let them know who I am, what I am doing there and provide them with all my legal paperwork... I do not... repeat... do not try and tell them how to do their job and I always try to work within their parameters so hopefully, nothing goes wrong, but if it does, they at least know I am sticking to the rules that they have put forth.

One other thing I might add... "How you present yourself in talk, dress and approach is almost as important (sometimes more-so) as being legal and having all the proper credentials" I and others I am sure... have BS'd our way through tricky situations by simply saying the right things and presenting ourselves in a proper manner.

I know your looking for specific answers here but believe me.... you can ask a dozen members in this business and get a dozen different answers. I am trying to give you a broad look at what you seek.

Good luck... this is a very tricky business but can be extremely rewarding.... again, this is my opinion and we all know what they are like................

_________________
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"

It is indeed very tricky and info plus knowledge helps alot. Earlier I went up to DC (before I saw the reply) and the police officer I spoke to diddnt even know we wer not allowed to carry firearms in DC, not that I was, but this caught me off guard. We were also told we and they can not and will not touch a fugitive from another state in DC if he has a non-extriditive warrant, which also caught me by surprise

_________________
Location: Stafford,Fredericksburg Virginia
Cell: Just ask
Training: Accredited Security Training - Fredericksburg, Va
Email: J.austinbea@live.com
Always eager, always willing, all hail the power of Google
DCJS: #99-295456

sled.sc.gov Res. of reciprocity states who permit s issued by the states of residence may carry concealed firearms in S.C. South Carolina has a agreement with 20 states.

Sled and the Department of insurance says the cwp is for Self Defense only!!! And they say if a bondman carries his hand gun while doing a pick up on a bail skip they consider that as a offence position not defense, you can have a shot gun or a taser but no hand gun. So you can have it in your car but some officers will arrest you if you have it on your person during a hunt. The SC Bail Association is trying to get the law changed so that we may carry during a pick up. Most times you can have leo's help you do a pick up around here. They will take them from you if you want so they get credit for the arrest, I don't mind that at all saves me time and I can go home quicker.

_________________
DANIEL CONKLIN
Always There Bail Bonds
Spartanburg,Sc
864-580-2245

DC is kinda tricky I've picked up maybe 5 skips in DC the patrol officers in certain areas really don't care if you are there and take custody of the skip but in other areas their warrant squad is the only ones allowed to pick them up and hold them for extradition to another state as long as you have a copy of the warrant and they will call to verify it's still active. But there is another member on this forums that has a lot more experience dealing with recovery work in DC. Your best bet is get in contact with him and he should be able to give you more info on DC

_________________
DANIEL CONKLIN
Always There Bail Bonds
Spartanburg,Sc
864-580-2245

You are very correct Bill....you could be correct and dead all at the same time.. Reminds me of my son getting into trouble in high school his shop teacher caught doodling...but he was drawing a swastika...and the V.P. pulled him out of the lunch line to discuss it. My son told me that he later went to the office to advise the V.P. that his earlier comments and actions were incorrect and inappropriate..(Now knowing my son and that he can be a bit of a smart ass and doesn't like to take no for an answer, it was hard to contain my laughter) he said he told the V.P. that the swastika went back far beyond what the nazi's had done to it. I asked him what the V.P. said to him after him explained all of this...he told me that the V.P. told him to shut get out of his office and back to class before he got detention...I tried to explain it to my son that though he may have been technically correct he was still wrong...I explained that in his typical fashion he tried to embarrass a sitting principal by making him look stupid...so right isn't always right...

_________________
Robert J Brown

Bail Bondsman
NPN: 17113240
Holmes Bail Bonding
Johnston County, NC
(919) 376.6661