The ancient industry known as bounty hunting dates back to the Wild West, when local and national fugitive search advertisements were posted in every city with bounties listed in them for the capture of those fugitives. Back then, the rewards were roughly $ 5,000 per person, and it didn’t matter if the fugitive was brought to justice dead or alive. All the local police wanted was for the fugitives to be away from the public, regardless of the method. Bounty hunters, then and now, work for a percentage of the bail money that the fugitive has to pay to the court system. Bounty hunting has become a serious profession these days, and most bounty hunters are trained and licensed to operate where they live.
The following five items are some cool facts you didn’t know about bounty hunters:
1. Bounty Hunter is no longer the preferred name for this profession. The name in use now is Fugitive Recovery Agent or Bail Enforcement Agent. These two names are more politically correct in today’s society and are respected both by members of the industry and by the judicial system.
2. Some fugitive recovery officers have more authority to arrest fugitives than police officers. This all depends on the state the bounty hunter operates in and its bounty hunting laws, which are legal across the country. Kentucky, Illinois, and Oregon prevent bounty hunting altogether. A warrant must be issued to a bounty hunter and then a police officer can make the arrest. The bounty hunter may request that the fugitive be delivered into his hands.
3. Bounty hunters can no longer bring fugitives home dead or alive, they must be alive and not mistreated at all. The court system will not accept broken bones, bruises, scratches, and other injuries. Fugitives who have been beaten will not be sent to jail due to the legal liability involved.
4. Believe it or not, most fugitive recovery agents wear bail bond recovery agent badges these days to make them identifiable by local law enforcement agencies, the public, and the fugitives they are pursuing so that no problems arise during the chasing.
5. The broad authority for bounty hunters emerged in 1873 in the United States with the Supreme Court case of Taylor v. Taintor. This Supreme Court case gave bounty hunters across the country the authority to act on behalf of bail bondsmen and arrest fugitives who skipped bail. This case also gave the bounty hunters permission to pursue the fugitive to another state and enter the fugitive’s place of residence to make an arrest.
Bounty hunting has grown into a multi-billion dollar industry in the United States over the past two decades. A talented fugitive recovery agent can earn approximately $ 80,000 to $ 100,000 per year arresting fugitives. They will have to work between 50 and 150 boxes to earn that much money, which can be a tiring task. Many fugitive recovery agents spend 80 to 100 hours a week chasing down fugitives, working surveillance, investigating, and ultimately tracking down their target.