Where Mercy Is Shown, Mercy Is Given - Duane Dog Chapman [77]
The cop said, “I certainly hope that’s true, Dog, because if it’s not, you’re all going to jail. Now, get out of here!”
“I will not. I’ve got proof we got permission and I’ll use it if I have to.” Of course, I was referring to my camera crew, who’d captured the entire bust on tape. It’s generally not a great idea to offer up my footage as evidence, unless I really have to, because the police will confiscate all of it. Usually if I find myself in a position where that’s my only option, I’ll take the arrest and defend myself later. The fact is, I ultimately have to be responsible to uphold the law when I am out on a hunt because not only could I lose my job with A&E, I could also go to jail.
It really hurts my feelings that some cops see me as the enemy. I’ve got thirty-plus years in the field chasing down criminals. I’ve had experiences most cops will never have throughout their entire career. I’d love to share my techniques and information on chasing fugitives with the proper authorities so they can share in the knowledge I’ve acquired over the years. I respect the police and the service they provide. Whenever I see cops in a restaurant, I make it a point to pick up their check as a small gesture to let them know how I feel. I always tell the waitress not to tell them who picked up the tab, because I don’t want the recognition. I just want to say thanks for all they do. Unless the police and bounty hunters learn to work together, fugitives can use the system to keep themselves from being caught. Cops and bounty hunters are on the same side of the law—they ought to join forces to serve and protect citizens from dangerous criminals on the run.
There have been all sorts of laws proposed to govern the field of bounty hunting, ranging from not allowing the use of real firearms to restricting our right to enter a private citizen’s home. To be clear, bounty hunters are not vigilantes, executioners, or police officers. It isn’t our responsibility to execute the sentence, but merely to pick up the fugitive and deliver them to the court. Because the laws vary from state to state, I think bounty hunting has become a business that now needs some kind of regulation to govern what we can and cannot do.
I’m disappointed that the National Association of Bounty Hunters has never asked me to speak at a function and has never asked me to become a member of their organization. I think I would bring a lot of clout to the table to help establish our profession as a viable and respectable field. The only time they tried to associate, or should I say disassociate, with me was after I was arrested in Mexico, when they were quick to point out that they would have never apprehended Luster like I did. Well, I guess we all know how that story ends. Even so, I would be honored to be a part of the association one day because I know our collective voice would bring the right type of attention to our chosen profession. Since I have become the very best in the field, I would be an ideal advocate to help mediate between the association and the government, to come up with laws that would effectively regulate the business while taking the needs of both parties into consideration. Although I am the poster boy for the profession, many bounty hunters think I am the very person ruining it. For all of those doubters, I have one thing to say: You’re sadly mistaken.
The higher up the rank of an officer, the better we generally get along. The rookies trying to make a name for themselves loathe bounty hunters. Let’s face it: I’m the guy out there catching criminals while some of these guys are still chasing them. This constant tension with my profession combined with a personal feud I wasn’t aware of led to a surprise meeting set up with a Honolulu police major and Beth and me. Let’s just say he wasn’t a huge fan of mine. One thing is for sure. He is not sitting at home on Wednesday nights watching my show.
Beth and I have never been known for our promptness, so of course, we were twenty minutes late on the day of our big meeting. James Lindblad,