When someone brings up the topic of how technology is changing the world, the first thing you probably think of are the ability to communicate with someone on the other side of the world, or the Moon landings, or satellite images. However, new technologies have also actually had effects on the ability of bounty hunters and bail bondsmen to process, track, and, in some cases, hunt fugitives. Here are a few of the most useful innovations.
Social Networking & Anonymity
The rise of social networking sites has actually helped hunt down fugitives. Many people, even though they are on the run from the law, don’t stop using the internet. By using sites such as Facebook and Twitter, it’s possible for a bounty hunter to get someone’s general location or even find their IP address, making it easy to track down their computer.
However, social networking sites can also be used for their original purpose when finding a fugitive. One notable example of this is when David Jenny, a bounty hunter, created a Facebook account using the picture of an attractive blond woman. He then proceeded to message Michael Rehak, his target, pretending that he was a 25 year old woman from Pennsylvania. Before long, Jenny had gotten the information he needed to find Rehak.
Databases
For any kind of large-scale enterprise, organization is essential. This is no less true in the criminal justice system than in corporations. The Internet makes an excellent place to place and organize all of the data about the current bonds a bail company has. Without the ability to create and use that kind of database, keeping track of everything would be much harder.
For that matter, databases are useful for organizing trials and maintaining jails. Any process related to criminal justice that you can think of involves a lot of information that needs to be kept track of somehow. Although it would be possible to store information without the ability to put it in a computer or on the Internet, it would be much harder to find or access that information again.
As can be seen from the example of New Orleans, a lack of an organized database can be a real problem. Many bounty hunters are forced to house fugitives until they can confirm that their target is in fact who they say they are.
There have been multiple complaints from bounty hunters working within the city that the city does not regularly update its database to indicate when a criminal has fled the justice system and become a fugitive. Jails will often refuse to accept people who have not been entered into the system yet, creating more problems for the bounty hunter.
Conclusion
Overall, the creation of the Internet has been a tremendous help to bail enforcers. It provides a way to communicate knowledge as well as find out details about a specific fugitive. In this day and age, bounty hunting is less about going out and physically hunting down the target, and more about using the new tools available to discern their location.
John Keefe is a blogger and professional bail bondsman in Oklahoma City, OK. John is passionate about sharing information online through his blogs, on youtube, and provides bail bonds services in OKC to his local community while working with C&K OKC Bail Bonds.