Private Bail Apprehension Agency Disputes Premise of New Laws

RED WING, Minn. - June 1, 2015 - PRLog -- LEGISLATION REGULATING BOUNTY HUNTERS

Official Agency Response

Red Wing, MN, June 1, 2015– New legislation in the State of Minnesota, regarding "Bounty Hunters", more appropriately referred to as "Fugitive Recovery Agents", or "Bail Investigators", has recently made our agency US Fugitive Recovery & Extradition the focus of media attention.  Owned by Stew Peters, US Fugitive Recovery & Extradition is a professional Fugitive Recovery Agency operating in accordance with the law, and the highest safety standards. The legislation was prompted according to Goodhue County Sheriff Scott McNurlin, "with Stew Peters in mind."

While the agency's professional conduct was never called into question, the legislation would prohibit fugitive recovery agents from marking their vehicles, driving vehicles of certain colors, and from wearing designated colored "uniforms," while performing warrant arrests.

In reporting about the law, some of the media outlets have painted Peters, and his agency as "Wannabe Cops".  US Fugitive Recovery & Extradition operates under a strict Standard Operating Procedure which clearly establishes use of force policies, K9 policies, and training requirements essential for ensuring safety while performing warrant arrests.

Our agency is committed to the safety of our team, wanted persons, the public, and law enforcement officers.  It's with safety in mind, that our agency had previously operated with clearly marked vehicle badges identifying us as Fugitive Recovery Agents, and not the police, or any other official government agency. Our agents wear badges and ID placards intended to accomplish the same goal.

Fugitive recovery apprehension attempts, by our own agency's policies, are done with notification of law enforcement of our exact location, set objectives, when our agents are clear, and the outcome of our attempt(s). We feel it is important that any law enforcement officer arriving at these locations are able to quickly identify our personnel and are readily informed of apprehension attempts being made.

Throughout the course of our agency's existence, we have formed strong working relationships with many law enforcement agencies, and work cooperatively alongside these departments, providing useful information essential for making felony arrests based upon our investigators' observations. It is our policy to define a clear "line" between law enforcement departments, and our Fugitive Recovery Agency.  In 2014, our agency was credited with 102 arrests, 83 of which were felonies, and 56 arrests involved crimes of violence involving weapons ranging from gang crimes, high level drug charges and aggravated assault.  During the course of last year's investigations, our agents recovered over a dozen firearms, and large amounts of controlled substances.  In its history, our agency has also assisted law enforcement on many occasions, including a 2011 incident, in St Paul, when US Fugitive Recovery & Extradition agents used necessary force to detain two individuals who were actively assaulting a female officer, preventing a much more negative outcome. In another occasion, it was our agency’s intuitiveness, excellent recall to details, professionalism, and ability to provide valuable information that helped investigators of the St Paul Police Department apprehend a suspect responsible for stealing numerous vehicles, with a tow truck, and bringing them to scrap yards for payment.

US Fugitive Recovery & Extradition takes the utmost pride in its high standards of professionalism and its ability to assist law enforcement departments in the recovery of some of Minnesota's most dangerous fugitives.  The Agency has been pleased by receiving a barrage of support from dozens of law enforcement departments from around the state since recent media coverage. Many have expressed concern why Goodhue County Sheriff Scott McNurlin would want to impede fugitive recovery agents from distinguishing themselves with law enforcement by marking their vehicles accordingly. Nonetheless, Peters and US Fugitive Recovery & Extradition is committed to acting in full accordance with all laws, while continuing to operate at the highest professional standards in apprehending fugitives.

US Fugitive Recovery & Extradition, LLC – “Honor. Integrity. Justice.”