Being A Bounty Hunter

By Author: Costa Oliver
Total Articles: 8
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Many people are familiar with the concept of bounty hunters thorough Boba Fett, who appears in the movie "Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back" to arrest Han Solo, encasing him in carbonite. With the popularity of shows like DOG The Bounty Hunter and the series of books by Janet Evanovich tracing the fictional life of Stephanie Plum, a female bounty hunter, more and more people are wondering what it takes to become a bounty hunter. What exactly do they do?

A bounty hunter's role is to arrest fugitives in return for compensation. Also known as a bail enforcement agent, bail agent, bail officer, or fugitive recovery officer, they usually search for those who have failed to show up for a scheduled court date (i.e., "skipped bail"). The court issues a bench warrant or arrest warrant once they have failed to appear for a court case. At that time, the bail bondsman, who has paid bail money for the defendant to get out of jail while awaiting trial, can either forfeit the money paid or track down the defendant.

The fugitive recovery officer is hired by the bail bondsman to track down these fugitives. In general, no search ...
... warrant is required for bail agents or bounty hunters to enter the fugitive's private property. All that is required is a bench warrant issued for the fugitive's arrest.

Today, many are considering becoming a fugitive recovery officer for the income possibilities. First consider the state where you plan to work if you want to become a professional bail agent. There are varying requirements for licensing and training depending on the state. Bounty hunters can work in every state except for Kentucky. Once trained, most new bounty hunters contract with a bail bondsman to track down fugitives. As each fugitive is found and returned to the court, the bail agent is paid a commission, either a flat fee or a percentage of the original bail amount.

If you do decide to try your hand at being a bounty hunter, be prepared for what you're getting yourself into. Before you become a fugitive recovery officer, you should be aware that it can be dangerous. You'll be tracing down people who do not want to be caught, and who may not want not go quietly. They may be violent, and they may be armed. Remember, these people have already been arrested once, and they may have served time in jail and be willing to do anything possible so that they don't have to go back. Not only must you defend yourself against potentially violent fugitives, but you must also physically detain them using handcuffs or other methods so that you can bring them to justice.

At the very least, when acting as a fugitive recovery officer you'll need pepper spray, a stun gun, or a TASER device to keep yourself safe and apprehend your target quickly. Today, nearly every professional police department and security company requires guards to carry one of these devices; just because you're on your own as a fugitive recovery officer doesn't mean that you should be any less protected. Other tools popular among bounty hunters include a radio, handcuffs, firearm, and bullet proof vest.

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