I recently received an invitation to join a group of professional bail agents that is developing a nationwide network of bail experts determined to raise the standards of professionalism in the bail bond industry. I wrote a blog about that invitation and entitled it “No dogs allowed”. Some people took offense to my use of the word dog. Let me be very clear that I am not writing about someone who plays a bounty hunter on TV. I am writing about the pretenders who model themselves after someone on TV and stand in the same line at the jails as I do. I am the one that is offended. A sheriff’s employee recently remarked to me that when some of the bail agents come in to post bonds, they wonder about on which side of the bars that person belongs.

We recognize that the industry has an image problem and we are going to correct that problem. Part of the problem stem from the fact that Hollywood has portrayed bail agents in a manner that makes for mediocre entertainment, but is far from reality. I have a Masters Degree in Family Relations and am a former Deputy Sheriff / Criminal Investigator. I’m pretty boring and more closely represent the majority of agents being invited to join this network.

Another part of the problem stems from the fact that there are a few bad apples in the barrel. They will not be a part of this network.

I had an opportunity to meet with a group of fine people all having the same goal in mind. This group was made up of bail agents, attorneys, marketing professionals, IT specialists and former law enforcement officials. These were people with a fine pedigree and good breeding… no pretenders.

We will be improving the standards of the industry and correcting the image problems that the general population has of us. We are everyday people helping everyday people who know someone having a problem in the legal system. We are an integral part of the criminal justice system. We ensure the court appearance of people accused of crimes so that the defendant and victim have their day in court.

I’m proud to be a part of ExpertBail.com

Watch for the launch on 8/1/10.