In fact, many bounty hunters have made mistakes arresting fugitives. Some have arrested the wrong person, and others have come under fire for using violent, strong-arm techniques on offenders who have missed bail on non-violent offenses, such as parking or moving violations. Legislation was introduced in Congress to require federal supervision of bounty hunters, and stricter regulations for their operation, but it never passed the Congress. These opponents point to abuses by some bounty hunters, along with their power to monitor and enter innocent people's homes that are guaranteed by national law.
While some bounty hunters may abuse their power, the majority are aware of their power and the need to regulate it. Another writer quotes the director of the U.S. Professional Bail Bond Investigators Association, a profession organization for bounty hunters. The author writes, "There are people in our industry who are dumb, stupid, but we already have laws in place: If you hurt somebody, you're going to face the consequences of the law. Most of the people I know who do this are professionals; a lot of them are former law-enforcement personnel'" (Elvin, 2000, p. 22). Thus, most bounty hunters recognize their limits, and know their profession is on the line if they abuse their power. In fact, another magazine writer notes that the professional bounty hunter he encountered often worked unarmed, as do many in the profession (Rucker, 2001, p. 7). That fact backs up the idea that bounty hunters do not possess too much power in the criminal justice...
They possess enough to get the job done, and regulations ensure they do not get out of hand. Another professional notes much of their time is actually spent tracking down suspects by phone and stakeout, rather than in actual apprehension (Parenti, 1997). In fact, the bail industry is so successful at apprehending criminals that many experts are actually asking for increased power and expansion of the industry (Parenti, 1997). Thus, the bounty hunters do not have too much power, they have enough to do their jobs, and do them more effectively than most police forces.
In conclusion, while it may seem bounty hunters possess too much power and authority, in reality, they are a vital part of the criminal justice system. Without them, many more criminals might skip bond and never come to justice. In addition, their power is regulated by every state, and because of this, their power is also limited. They are not police officers, and do not have the power of the police, even though they often work closely with police officers. Bail bondsmen use force, but they use necessary force, and the power they possess is correct for the jobs they accomplish every day.
References
Elvin, J. (2000, June 19). The strong-arm of the law. Insight on the News, 16, 22.
Parenti, C. (1997, January). 'I hunt men': Meet the self-ordained officers of the bail-bond industry. The Progressive, 61, 21+.
Reynolds, M. (2002). 9 Privatizing probation and parole. In Entrepreneurial economics: Bright…
