Bondsman With Big Heart Serves Up a Serving of Caring

The Rocky Mount Telegram featured bail agent Stanley Griffin and restaurant owner Marcus Herring in a Christmas Day article.  Griffin, better known as “Big Grif” of Big Grif Bail Bonds, teamed up with Herring to offer free turkey lunches on Christmas at Herring’s restaurant, Cuzo.  With the help of the community, Griffin and Herring handed out over 100 meals to those in need. One customer, Rose Wynn, was able to give her three children a warm Christmas meal thanks to the generosity of Griffin and Herring.  “I didn’t... Read more

Some Bondsmen Offer Recession Rates

In a recession, crime rates have been shown to increase.   More crime leads to more arrests, which would logically lead one to think the bail business is booming.  However, the tough economy is adversely affecting bail agents as well.  It is hard for people to come up with the 10% to pay the bail agent, and harder to put up the collateral for the bond with the sagging housing market.  To combat this, the Associated Press is reporting that more bail agents are offering payment plans and low premiums.  Critics claim that these payment plans... Read more

Merger Talk Between Two Kansas Bail Associations

According to the Kansas Bail Agents Association’s Prarie News, there are talks between the Kansas Bail Agents Association and the Kansas Professional Bail Bonds Association to become one association. David Stuckman, Midwest Director of the Professional Bail Agents of the United States, is leading this effort.  He has stressed the importance of Kansas bail agents presenting a united front against the possiblity of legislation that would hurt the bail industry due to the recession.  Read More →

Illinois Governor Blagojevich Free On Bail

Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich is free on $4,500 bail (most likely far less than he was allegedly selling the Illinois Senate seat for).   According to CNN.com, FBI agents arrested Blagojevich and John Harris, his chief of staff, on federal corruption charges Tuesday morning.  Harris and Blagojevich were both charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and solicitation of bribery.  Federal authorities bugged Blagojevich’s campaign office to collect evidence that he was “conspiring to sell or trade the vacant Senate seat... Read more

Keep Business Up with the Economy Down

Keep track of what marketing is working so you can spend your marketing budget smarter. As the economy continues to struggle, companies are searching for ways to trim the fat off their expenses while bringing in new business.  In an effort to save money, many companies make the mistake of cutting their marketing budget thinking it is the most expendable line item.  In times of financial difficulty, however, companies should assess how they’re spending their marketing budget and adjust if necessary before slashing through it with a red pen. McGraw-Hill... Read more

Decrease in Accountability Hurts Community’s Safety

"Criminals are walking the streets without the appropriate safeguards to protect our community's safety." What would happen if the criminal-justice system - in an attempt to cut costs and reduce jail overcrowding - released child abusers, felony drug users, illegal immigrants, people charged with domestic violence and car thieves from jail? Even worse, what if you knew that these people weren’t being closely monitored? What if there was a better solution - one that still relieves jail overcrowding, but also has a significantly... Read more

E-Mail Etiquette 101: Be Professional!

Don't forget to be professional when you communicate via e-mail. Though e-mail actually predates the internet, modern e-mail really came into existence as a popular means of communication in the mid-1990s with the rise of internet service providers such as AOL.  While many people can no longer imagine life without e-mail, others are just starting to embrace this electronic form of communication.  Whether someone has been using e-mail for 13 days or 13 years, everyone can use a refresher on e-mail etiquette. Sexxyhotmama4ever@isp.com Quite... Read more

Safety Tips for Fugitive Recovery Agents

Follow these tips to stay safe working as a fugitive recovery agent. Fugitive recovery is a dangerous profession. It should not be attempted by any individual who has not been specifically trained to overcome encounters in the field. These are a few safety tips to help you be safe. Training Each agent must train on his own or with other agents daily. This training is paramount to surviving a deadly encounter. Exercises should include: cardio, strength and endurance. In addition, perishable skills such as self defense, arrest methods, building... Read more

Help Pass the Bail Bond Fairness Act

Stephen Kreimer, the Executive Director of the Professional Bail Agents of the United States, has sent out the following information regarding the Bail Bond Fairness Act that PBUS is currently trying to pass into law. — The elections are over and now the Members of the 110th Congress are making plans to return to Washington, DC one last time before they adjourn sine die; thereby ending this, the Second and final Session of the 110th Congress. A significant number of bills have yet to be considered, including S.2495, the Bail Bond Fairness... Read more

Are You Marketing Your Bail Agency Online?

It is important to develop a web presence for your bail agency. When we were first talking about Collateral, we spent a lot of time debating whether or not to do a print magazine or an electronic magazine.  We (obviously) decided to go with a magazine hosted on the Internet. The question you may ask yourself is, what does the internet have to do with the bail industry? The answer is - a lot. The Professional Bail Agents of the United States have recently decided to “go green,” which involves switching to more electronic communication... Read more

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