| Many people who write me asking how one | | | | applied. Simply put these techniques consist of low |
| should get started in the bail enforcement industry | | | | level stunning, activation points, escorts and |
| often include their martial arts backgrounds as a | | | | compliance techniques that can be used to control |
| lead in to the question at hand. I often chuckle at | | | | another person without causing permanent |
| that but one rent email did pose the question, | | | | damage; hostility management, anger diffusion and |
| "Who will my martial arts background apply to | | | | escape should also be applied when applicable. |
| bounty hunting?" | | | | "Standing Ju Jitsu," Aikido and Judo are all |
| Bounty Hunters, I prefer Bail Enforcement Agents | | | | outstanding martial arts in their real-world |
| or Bail Investigators, by definition deal with | | | | application in the typical scenarios one might |
| dangerous situations every day they go to work. | | | | encounter in most bail enforcement actions. They |
| We are often sticking our heads into the | | | | are my choice of techniques to use but it can |
| proverbial lion's mouth every time we attempt to | | | | take a lifetime to master each art's own nuances |
| take a bail-secured defendant into custody by | | | | and complexities; this may not be practical for the |
| serving a civil bond forfeiture warrant attached to | | | | new or aspiring fugitive recovery investigator. |
| a criminal failure to appear capias. It's easy to | | | | Perhaps the next best choice for most should be |
| forget that what we do on a daily basis, | | | | CDT®, which is a personal protection system |
| oftentimes alone and poorly armed, is a MAJOR | | | | and not a martial art. Its creators claim that it can |
| EVENT requiring highly trained SWAT teams | | | | be learned quickly and effectively no matter what |
| within most law enforcement departments! | | | | your gender or size. Most importantly, CDT® |
| In my experience, which is longer and more | | | | techniques can be learned and mastered through |
| varied than most in the bail bond recovery | | | | a properly structured training course in a limited |
| business, 1 out of every 100 people I have taken | | | | amount of time and are proven to work |
| to jail for a bail bondsman will react violently to | | | | effectively against any gender and body size. I |
| the apprehension- but the violence ranges widely | | | | hear good thing about it from my friends in law |
| between simple resistance to someone trying to | | | | enforcement however, when the creators make |
| shoot me with a firearm of some sort. Luckily, | | | | dubious claims such as "the most effective |
| 97% of these violent encounters do not require | | | | non-deadly force system in the world" I have to |
| any use of force beyond the simple application of | | | | stop and give pause. |
| some "pain compliance" methods. Thankfully, I | | | | Either way, when a bail agent needs to utilize |
| have only had to use an Air-Taser once and point | | | | less-than-deadly force by means of empty |
| my firearm at a defendant or a co-actor once. | | | | handed tactics, that person must be able to do so |
| What happens in these violent situations is that | | | | quickly, skillfully, and with reduced risk and liability |
| we must immediate apply the use of force | | | | to all concerned. The longer the investigator has |
| continuum, which plainly states that bail enforcers | | | | to be engaged with a defendant or those who |
| shall use only that force which is reasonable and | | | | mean to prevent his arrest, the greater risk of |
| lawful, given the facts and circumstances known | | | | sustaining injury or even death. Furthermore, |
| at the time of the event to effectively bring an | | | | depending upon a defendant's actions or the |
| incident under control. "Reasonableness" of the use | | | | situation, the BEA may have to increase or |
| of force must be judged from the perspective of | | | | decrease the amount of force employed. The |
| a reasonable investigator on the scene at the | | | | techniques discussed allow for the escalation and |
| time of the incident. A bail enforcement agent, | | | | de-escalation of lawful force without causing |
| who is authorized by the surety on a bail piece, | | | | serious or deadly injury and that's a big plus in my |
| who makes or attempts to make an arrest need | | | | book when it comes to reducing the liability often |
| not retreat or desist from his efforts by reason | | | | involved with going "hands on" with anyone. |
| of resistance or threatened resistance of the | | | | This is the nexus between the martial arts, their |
| person being arrested; nor shall such investigator | | | | real world application as combative arts and the |
| be deemed an aggressor or lose his right to | | | | modern day bounty hunter. |
| self-defense by the use of reasonable force to | | | | Scott Harrell is the principal of CompassPoint |
| affect the arrest or to prevent escape or to | | | | Investigations and the author of many articles |
| overcome resistance. | | | | concerning bail enforcement via his website He is |
| Reasonably, I cannot shoot a defendant for | | | | an avid martial artist and is part owner of Seikou |
| resisting the application of handcuffs if he does | | | | Martial Arts Academy ( |
| not pose an imminent threat to my own life. This | | | | Permission is granted to reprint or repost this |
| is where the pain compliance techniques that can | | | | article so long as the URLs and the associated |
| be learned via many martial art styles or a | | | | .html links remain active or "clickable" and that the |
| system known as CDT® (Compliance, | | | | "no follow" html tag is not used. |
| Direction and Take-down) are most appropriately | | | | |