Kathy Erken has had an interesting l career path. Several years ago, you would have found her in the posh neighborhoods of Danville and Blackhawk selling multimillion dollar real estate. Today you could find her featured in European TV documentaries about her current career.
Erken is a licensed bail bondswoman. Very few women choose this line of work, hence the interest in her career from the European press. She believes that being a woman helps in her business. “Women seem to have a calming effect on suspects and clients. I rarely have to use force when apprehending a fugitive.” She often travels long distances to get her man (or woman). Recently, she went to Arizona, New York and Alaska to apprehend fugitives.
Erken spent 18 years in the real estate business. Before that, she was in the Army Medical Corps and served during the Vietnam war. She says she slipped into the bail bonds/bail recovery agent business through private investigator Terry Finn. “He asked me to help him out around the office from time to time. Real estate was down at the time, and I found myself doing more and more for Terry. I just sort of fell into this business. Besides, it is interesting.”
In the bail bonds business, Erken does more than just apprehend fugitives. “I get the details of their lives before I post bond for them, so that I can just about ensure that they won’t jump bail on us.” She also gives a personal touch to her business. “Often the suspect is the main provider of a family. I do everything I can to get that family to the proper programs that will help them out in their time of need so that they don’t have to suffer needlessly.” She also says that a majority of her clients are really just normal people caught in a bad situation. She treats everyone with respect, and is in turn treated with respect by her clients and also the people she arrests. “I get referrals from people I have bailed and arrested,” says Erken.
What makes this grandmother of three a successful bonds woman and bail recovery agent? Erken believes it is the gentle treatment and respect that she gives to her clients and to fugitives. “They are scared, so a little kindness and respect goes a long way. I also work very closely with my clients to help get them through this difficult period in their lives.”
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