Fugitive agents, also known as bounty hunters, use research and stakeouts to locate and apprehend fugitives for a bounty. Licensing and regulation vary by state and country, and the job involves danger and paperwork.
When someone who is released from prison on bail does not return by a court date, he is officially considered a fugitive from the law. A fugitive agent, also known as a bounty hunter, bail recovery agent, or fugitive recovery agent, uses a variety of tactics to locate that fugitive in order to collect bounty money. This work requires a lot of attention and patience, due to the danger inherent in the work.
The first thing a fugitive agent does is research local laws about arresting fugitives. Laws on tracking criminals can vary greatly from country to country. For example, only the United States and the Philippines allow private citizens to legally practice this work. Additionally, each state in the United States has different requirements and laws about how a citizen can arrest a fugitive.
The biggest discrepancy in fugitive agent regulation is often licensing. Bail enforcement certification is specific to a particular state; therefore, a fugitive agent can track and apprehend suspects only in states where he is licensed. Certification involves an examination of local laws and practices for apprehending fugitives and certifies that the person understands the job responsibilities.
The real job of a fugitive agent is a lot less exciting than many expect. Research is the biggest thing a fugitive agent does, because once an agent chooses a fugitive to pursue, he or she must read police reports and interview associates in order to make a hypothesis about where the fugitive could be. Another big part of the job is simply waiting during stakeouts to see if the criminal in question arrives where he is suspected of hiding.
Only a very small portion of the job actually involves apprehending a suspect. It doesn’t matter if the agent is tracking a murderer or a misdemeanor thief, a fugitive recovery agent generally does not attempt to apprehend a suspect alone because of the danger involved. Many fugitive agents have a trained team that surrounds buildings and helps to safely capture individuals and prevent their escape. After apprehending a suspect, it is the fugitive agent’s job to take the person to the proper authorities for an actual arrest and scheduling. The fugitive agent must also work with law enforcement authorities to collect the bounty, and usually must fill out a large amount of paperwork to certify his claim to the money before collecting it.
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