The Orange County Register online edition, December 7, 2009 reports of the arrests of four gang members in the parking lot of a Fry’s Electronics store. The report cites several ways the Anaheim police were able to apprehend these individuals. Among those noted were the following: 1). Vehicle code violation 2). Suspicious behavior 3). Plain clothes officers in strategic places initiated by the Anaheim Police Department’s crime trend analysis that targets potential area for crime.

How would a bail bondsman in Orange county assess these individuals for bail – each had a $50,000.00 bail? When using a bail bond company, defendants would need to come up with a 10% premium to post bail. Bail bond companies do not rely heavily on the defendants for the financing of a bond. Instead, defendants would have to provide good signers, usually within their family circle, in order to secure the bond for the $50,000.00. Anyone who signs for a bail bond is responsible for the $50,000.00 should the defendant forfeit and shoulders the responsibility of making that person appear in court. Bail bond companies have data bases and technological support that helps to evaluate the reliability of signers for a bail bond, which would be the approach used in this case.

There were a number of blogs regarding these gang-type hoodlums and most were appreciative the undercover surveillance worked and the bad-guys were taken off the street. However, here comes the bail guy, putting them back on the street again. The question put forth, “Does bailing out a parolee with a gun put them dangerously back on the street” or “does bailing this person out hasten their return to prison by alerting the system of their current movement and whereabouts? ” Food for thought.