President’s Page

Tax season is just getting started. We’ve shared tax tips and

possible penalties in previous newsletter issues. For more

information, click on the link at the bottom of this page.

A new study performed in Dallas TX proved commercial bail is

more effective at ensuring a defendant attends court dates in

Dallas than any other type of bail. We always knew it; this

study confirms it. See article on page 2. Also, Armando Roche

recently participated in a roundtable discussion to explain

how commercial bail benefits state and local governments.

See page 6 for more information.

See what one bondsman is doing to make a difference in his

community. It’s a great story about giving back to the

community. Article is on page 4.

We also answer the question: “Can bail agents be competitors

and friends?” Answer is on page 3.

Do you know how many “good” bonds need to be written to

compensate for a forfeiture? See page 7 for the answer!

We want to assist you with your business needs. However, we

need your help. We’re constantly looking for ways to help your

business grow and be successful. If you work with reliable

vendors who have assisted you with your business needs,

please contact us. We would like to speak with them.

See the update on the Bail Forms Project on page 2. An

online system to better serve your needs is in development

and will be available soon!

We greatly appreciate the opportunity to serve your needs

and always welcome your feedback, suggestions, and

comments!

Inside This Issue

1 President’s Page

2 Management team

Industry News & Tidbits

3 Agent Spotlight

4 Agent Spotlight

Marketing Tips

5 Computer Calendar

6 Pretrial Services

7 Your Money

8 The Fiscal Cliff

Upcoming Events

Roche Directory

Published by Roche Surety, Inc.

Editor: Ken Berke

Associate Editor: Monica Meythaler

“…commercial bail is more effective…”

The Roche Times

VOLUME 3 ISSUE 1 WINTER 2013

Current and Archived Newsletters now at: http://www.rochesurety.com/company-newsletter.html

Roche Mission: To Provide Superior Service and Support to our Agent Family, through our

Commitment to Bail Bond Professionals and their Individual Success.

Shannon Roche, President

Roche Surety

PAGE 2

“Roche is

developing an

online supply

ordering system...”

Industry News & Tidbits Forms Project update: We’ve been approved for all states except Vermont and Indiana. Our plan

is to phase in the new forms after the current supply of forms is exhausted.

We are developing an online ordering system in which you will be able to

go to a website 24 hours per day, 7 days per week and choose the forms

you need. The forms will be shipped directly to you!

We are still in the development process (though we are close to

completion) and will share the site with you when it is ready. We’re very

excited to offer this new service as it will enable you to order whatever

supplies you need whenever you have the need.

Dallas Study Proves FTA Rate is Lowest for Commercial Bail A new study recently published by Robert G. Morris, Ph.D., Associate

Professor of Criminology Director, Center for Crime and Justice Studies

proves Bondsmen in Dallas, TX are more effective at having their clients

attend their court dates than public pre-trial services.

The study titled: Pretrial Release Mechanisms in Dallas County, Texas noted

when comparing similarly situated defendants’ probability of FTA for all case

types, defendants released via a commercial bond (i.e., a bail bond

company) were significantly and substantively less likely to fail to appear in

court compared to attorney bonds, cash bonds, and pretrial services bonds,

respectively. The study can be viewed at:

http://www.rochesurety.com/company-news.html

Executive Team

Armando Roche is CEO and Founder of Roche Surety and Casualty

Company, Inc., and Roche Surety, Inc. Armando has been in the bail bond

profession for over forty years. He is a Master Certified Bail Agent (MCBA)

and has been inducted into the Bail Agents Hall of Fame. He is also a Co-

Founding member of the Professional Bail Agents of the United States

Association (PBUS), and has served as Vice President, Executive Vice

President, and President. He has served continuously on the PBUS Board of

Directors since its inception.

Linda Roche serves on the Board of Directors, and is Corporate Treasurer

and Co-Founder of Roche Surety and Casualty Company, Inc., and

Corporate Secretary of Roche Surety, Inc. Linda has been in the bail bond

profession for over 30 years. She is a Co-Founder of PBUS’s Women’s Only

Forum, is a licensed bail agent, and holds the distinction of Certified Bail

Agent (CBA).

Shannon Roche serves on the Board of Directors, and is President and

Chief Operating Officer of Roche Surety and Casualty Company, Inc., and

Roche Surety, Inc. She has been in the bail bond profession for over 20

years. She is a licensed bail agent and holds the distinction of Certified Bail

Agent (CBA). Shannon also maintains non-resident licenses in other states

and is an approved Instructor for bail bond agent pre-licensing and

continuing education courses in Florida.

Armando Roche

Shannon Roche

Linda Roche

PAGE 3

AA Castell and AA Waylene Bail Bonds – Competitors and Friends

Question: Can bail agents be competitors and friends?

For more than 30 years Dessie Castell and Waylene Donawa have been friends.

And…for more than 20 years AA Castell Bail Bonds and AA Waylene Bail Bonds

have been competitors. Competitor is definitely too strong of a

word as Ms. Castell and Ms. Donawa don’t consider themselves to

be competitors. They are marketing their business to many of

the same clients. However, if a potential client calls and it is

discovered that the potential client was a prior client of the other

agent, each will refer the person back to the other. Since they take

such good care of their clients, it is very rare that a client would call

any other agent. So when a client calls another agent, there is

almost always some issue with the client previously that makes the

client a higher risk.

They both admit they have had a few minor spats through the years,

However, they’ve always been resolved. They’ve raised their

families together, looked for skips together, and cover each others

phones should the need arise.

While they have some differences regarding how they run their

businesses, they frequently share their issues and help each other

work through those issues. “It’s great to have a friend who is in the

same business to bounce ideas and issues off of,” said Castell.

Honesty, great service, being available, treating people well and

helping them with their problems are just some of the best practices

they exercise each day for their clients. “We work for the customer,”

said Donawa.

How did Castell and Donawa get started in bail? Castell started through the urging of a friend

who is a bondsman in another county (and featured in the article below). Donawa started

through the urging of Ms. Castell.

Advice they would provide agents regarding their competition: “Don’t get caught up in

rumors and drama. Worry about your own agency not other agencies. Don’t be greedy –

there are plenty of customers for everyone if you know how to treat them.” Lastly, “Listen to

other agents. If a person has bonded with another agent previously, try to find out why the

person isn’t using that agent again. If the story doesn’t sound right, call the agent. There’s a

good chance the previous agent had payment or failure to appear issues.”

Answer: Bail Agents definitely can be competitors and friends!

Ms. Dessie Castell of

AA Castell Bail Bonds

Ms. Waylene Donawa

AA Waylene Bail Bonds

Newsletter Topic? Recognition for a fellow agent? Suggestions for how Roche can assist you

with your business? Send your comments, questions or suggestions to: ken@rochesurety.com

PAGE 4

Making a Difference in the Community

Calvin Richardson of United Insurance Agency started the “Community Toy Drive”

three years ago with his step-brother. They wanted to give back to the children

of the community where they live and work. Now in its third year, Community Toy

Drive provided toys during Christmas to more than 500 kids! They also provided hot

dogs, beans, cotton candy and drinks for all who attended.

“It’s a great feeling giving back to the children of the community I live and work in,” said

Richardson. Many of the children are from families who could not to afford to buy their children

all the gifts they would like to. Seeing the smiles is well worth the effort.

Mr. Richardson operates a bail agency, an insurance agency, real estate investments and

other interests in the Fort Pierce area. A successful businessman for more than 30 years, he

understands what it takes to move an idea into action and then into success. The Community

Toy Drive is certainly another success on the resume of Mr. Richardson!

Marketing Tips – Using location-based services to market your bail office Location-based check-in services are a growing form of advertising offering analytics for local

businesses. If you’re not familiar with these tools, here’s how they work: Consumers use the GPS

technology on their mobile devices to “check in” to physical locations, like a restaurant or your bail

bond business. They can then review your business, recommend it to others, and alert their social

networks where they are.

Why use location-based check-in services? 1. Clients “alert” their entire network that your business

exists. 2. They may recommend it or review it. 3. You can provide clients who check in discounts or

rewards for their loyalty. 4. Location-based check-in services allow you to track client behavior to

provide you with valuable information for growing your business.

Facebook Places and Foursquare are two common services. To get started with location-based check-

in, visit their websites and look for their business information. You’ll need to “claim” your business,

provide some basic information and then start using the marketing tools that each site offers.

http://business.foursquare.com/business-tools/overview https://www.facebook.com/about/pages

Calvin Richardson with some of the volunteers and sponsors

Children anxiously wait for toys!

PAGE 5

OUTLOOK 2007 - Calendar

Have you wondered where your agents are or need to set up a meeting with several people

based on everyone’s availability?

What to do? Calling everyone will only be time-consuming. And, you may want to schedule the

meeting following another meeting that is already scheduled with the same people in

attendance.

Here are some tips to streamline this undertaking, especially if there is a group of people you will

need to regularly invite to meetings.

1. Go to the Navigation pane on the far left of the Outlook screen and

a) Open the Calendar

b) Scroll to the bottom and click on Share My Calendar

c) Insert the email addresses of the people who are to receive the request for

calendar sharing.

d) If you want them to see your calendar also, check the box; uncheck it if you do

not.

e) Check the box Requests permission to view recipient’s Calendar

2. Voila! Soon you will receive an email that they accept your request and you can now

see all calendar information except for those they have marked as private. You may

invite multiple individuals in the same request.

Now you can see all those calendars, but they can hardly all squeeze into the space

provided next to each other.

OVERLAY

Again, what to do? Overlay the calendars so that you can see every calendar on top of the

other transparently, with all the individuals assigned a unique color.

1. Go to the Calendar. Right Click and choose View in Overlay Mode on the tab for each

calendar that you want to view overlaid onto one calendar.

2. Each tab chosen will reflect in a different color for each person’s calendar.

As you can see, this will allow you to see what is on more than one calendar at one glance. If

you’d like to move back to the side-by-side view, merely follow the steps above and choose

the side-by-side view.

Gmail, Yahoo, and other email services also have calendar overlays features if you use

those services. However, the procedures will vary.

PAGE 6

Journey to Atlantis Raffle! Atlantis Paradise Island Resort in the Bahamas

Only a few days left to enter! Grand Prize: 6 days/5 nights for 2 with Meal Plan,

$600 in Airline Expenses and lots of Sun and Fun!

Drawing to be held at the 2013 PBUS Winter Meeting in

Las Vegas at the Mirage Hotel. You do not need to be

present to win.

Proceeds Benefit: “Campaign for Better Bail In America”

$20 per chance or 6 chances for $100 If interested call Vickie at 813-623-5042

Armando Roche on Pretrial Justice Roundtable Panel

On January 10, 2013 Armando Roche, CEO Roche Surety & Casualty Co., Inc., was asked to

participate as a panelist regarding Pretrial Risk Assessment and Community Supervision: Tools to

Advance Public Safety. The event, held at Florida State

University’s College of Law, was hosted by Project on

Accountable Justice and moderated by the Florida Sheriffs

Association.

The purpose of the roundtable was to determine if there are

ways to better utilize tax dollars associated with criminal

justice in Florida. More than 100 colleagues from the criminal

justice system attended the roundtable discussion. Sheriffs,

attorneys, judges, bail bondsmen, county court officials,

pretrial services, county officials and state representatives

provided input.

Mr. Roche participated on two panels: Players in the Pretrial

Decision Making Process and Improvements to the Surety

and Bail Bond Industry. He discussed the value of the private

bail industry and the industry’s efforts to work closely with

Sheriffs and other law enforcement agencies to ensure

defendants out on a private bond appear at all their

court hearings or pay the forfeiture. Also discussed were

risk assessment tools, GPS monitoring, statistical reporting,

and current statutes.

Mr. Roche stressed the importance of working with law enforcement and the courts to provide the

best and most cost effective solutions to issues related to pretrial detention and release. He

emphasized that it should not be the bail industry vs. government paid pretrial services. He stated

“We have to work together to resolve the issues…” He also noted that the risk assessment tool

being touted by the pretrial services community is almost identical to the assessment that

bondsmen have been using for many years. Co-panelist Dan Amato requested that all attendees

review a typical defendant and indemnitor application supplied with materials distributed to all

attendees. He noted that most of the questions pretrial services is asking today have been asked

by bondsmen for more than 60 years.

The roundtable was a good exchange of many ideas that need to be researched.

Armando Roche stressing his point on

the Pretrial Decision Making Process

From right to left: Pinellas County Sheriff

Robert Gualtieri, Dan Amato,

Armando Roche

PAGE 7

Your Money

Collections

Collecting on premium payment plans (if you use them) can be challenging. Tougher collection

procedures may allow you to improve collection rates. What can be done?

Check Credit – while there is a cost to check credit, it may be something to consider for larger

payment plans. If credit is poor, you will likely have problems collecting.

Clearly Explain Your Policy – Put it in writing. Make sure the person understands how much time he has

to pay and what will result if payments are not made. Always have the person sign your agreement.

Invoices should contain clear written information about how much time customers have to pay, and

what will happen if they exceed those limits. Make sure the agreement includes your phone number so

the person can call if there will be an issue.

Be Realistic With Your Terms – if the person who agrees to make payments doesn’t have a job, how will

you collect? If you expect a person to pay you $500 per week and the person only earns $400 per

week, how can the person fulfill the agreement?

Follow Through - You should call all delinquent customers and politely request payment. If your terms

state delinquent or non-payers will go into collection after 30 days, follow through. Give the account

to your collection firm. If payment is not received after collection attempts, consider filing for a

judgment. However, you must weigh the legal cost against the potential to collect.

Act Professionally – Here are some suggested procedures to follow when calling customers:

Be forceful, but respectful when demanding payment.

Restate the terms of the agreement signed by the customer.

Ensure the customer understands the repercussions if payment is not made.

Make sure the customer provides specific dates and terms if payment is offered. If the customer

is unable or unwilling to adhere to the agreed upon terms, follow through on the terms.

Document your conversation including dates and times.

Forfeitures

Have you ever considered the true cost of a forfeiture or how many “good” bonds you need

to write to compensate for the “bad” one? The charts below provides a very simple look at

the number of good $10,000 bonds needed before you will break-even on a $10,000

forfeiture. The same formula will apply for any size bond. Please note the actual number of

bonds needed may be higher as the model does not consider other expenses such as rent,

utilities, payroll, office supplies, etc.

While it’s great to receive premium, always think about the cost if the bond is forfeited. Even if

you apprehend the defendant there is a cost.

Scenario 1: a $10,000 bond forfeits with no collateral and no remission

Bond Amount

Agent Premium Cost of Bond

# of good bonds needed to pay for forfeiture

$10,000 $1,000 $300 14

Scenario 2: a $10,000 bond forfeits with full remission

Bond Amount

Agent Premium Cost of Bond

Cost to apprehend and surrender defendant

# of good bonds needed to pay for forfeiture

$10,000 $1,000 $300 $3,000 5

$10,000 $1,000 $300 $2,000 3

$10,000 $1,000 $300 $1,000 2

PAGE 8

Upcoming Events

Association Event Date Website Florida training ongoing www.bailbondedu.com

TAPBA - Tennessee 5/16/2013 www.tapba.org

PBT - Texas 4/12/2013 www.pbtx.com

WSBAA - Washington 5/2/2013 www.wsbaa.com

PBAI - Idaho 3/13/2013 http://pbai.net

PBUS 2/24/2013 www.pbus.com

The Roche Team 1910 Orient Road

Tampa, Florida 33619 813-623-5042 Main Office

813-623-5939 Main Fax 800-789-3899 Toll Free www.rochesurety.com

Armando Roche Chief Executive Officer Shannon Roche President Linda Roche Corporate Secretary Melisa Martin Compliance Officer Ken Berke Vice President Edward Diliberto Controller Monica Meythaler Executive Assistant Bob Dawson Director of Sales Judi Aultman Regional Mgr/Audit Nilda Martin Transfer Bond Manager Linda Linet Operations Manager Zaida Arroyo Agent Services Rep. Johannah Braughton Agent Services Lindsey Emanuel Operations Assistant Stacy Andrews Administrative Assistant Rochanda Monroe Loss Prevention Jeannette Winkelmann Loss Prevention Rosa Meehan Loss Prevention Sam Marcadis Loss Prevention Vickie Barrionuevo Sr. Accounting Clerk Michelle Vasta Accounting Clerk

ERA – Offender Electronic Monitoring Systems

Whether you are ready to try electronic monitoring for the

first time, need to expand your present program, or require

a new solution for your existing program, ERA is here to

help you succeed. ERA provides:

(GPS) Tracking Device

Mobile Drive-By Units

Remote Alcohol Testing

Cellular & RF Monitoring Systems

Biometric Voice Verification Surveillance

Domestic Violence Solutions Covert GPS

For more information: Call 954-703-6033 or go to:

www.eramonitoring.com

Is the Fiscal Cliff Really Over?

Many people and politicians were happy when they believed the fiscal cliff issue was

resolved. Take a look below at some simple math. You’ll note the federal government

takes in $2.2 trillion of revenue and spends $3.8 trillion for a deficit of $1.6 trillion. If you

operated your house-hold budget the way the Federal government does, you’d have

to file for bankruptcy every year.

Who will shoulder this burden in the future? Some of us, our children and grandchildren.

Something to think about during the next election.

Common Sense Lesson 101 – Debt Ceiling

Let's say you come home from work and find there has been a sewer backup in your neighborhood… and your home has sewage all the way up to your ceilings. What do you think you should do? Raise the ceiling or remove the sewage?

Budgeting Lesson 101

U.S. Tax Revenue $ 2,170,000,000,000 Fed Budget $ 3,820,000,000,000

New Debt $ 1,650,000,000,000 National Debt $ 14,271,000,000,000 Recent Budget Cuts $ 38,500,000,000

Remove 8 zeros and pretend it's a household budget Annual Family Income $21,700 Money Family Spent $38,200 New Credit Card Debt $16,500 New Credit Card Balance $142,710 Family Budget Cuts $38.50