WHY EBI COLLECTION AGENTS AND BAILIFFS WEAR A BODY CAMERA
We believe that EBI should hold our collection agents, bailiffs, and themselves to a high standard. Recordings made by the body camera allow management to evaluate conduct, and help with continued training and integrity of our team. The body camera recordings also help with safeguarding the bailiffs while collecting evidence, serving notice, repossessing, investigating and more.
Better transparency
Body-worn cameras may result in better transparency and accountability and thus may improve collection agents or bailiffs’ legitimacy. For many debtors, there is a lack of trust and confidence in collection agents or bailiffs. This lack of confidence is exacerbated by questions about encounters between parties that often involve the use of derogatory language, threats, or violence. Video footage captured during these encounters and interactions can provide better documentation to help confirm the nature of events and support accounts articulated by collection agents, bailiffs, debtors, neighbours, friends, or anyone else who may interfere with the process.
Increased civility
Body-worn cameras may also result in higher rates of compliance during encounters, and fewer complaints lodged against collection agents or bailiffs. Debtors often change their behaviour toward collection agents or bailiffs when they are informed that the encounter is being recorded. This “civilizing effect” may prevent certain situations from escalating to levels requiring the need for police attendance.
Quicker resolution
Body-worn cameras may lead to a faster resolution of debtors’ complaints and allegations of bad manners and other forms of misconduct. Investigations of cases that involve inconsistent accounts of the encounter between agents and debtors are often found to be “not sustained” and are subsequently closed when there is no video footage nor independent or corroborating witnesses. This, in turn, can decrease the public’s trust and confidence in collection agents or bailiffs and increase perceptions that claims of abuse brought against them will not be properly addressed. Video captured by body-worn cameras may help corroborate the facts of the encounter and result in a quicker resolution.
Corroborating evidence
Footage captured may also be used as evidence in arrests or prosecutions. Proponents have suggested that video captured by body-worn cameras may help document the occurrence and nature of various types of action, reduce the overall amount of time required for police to complete paperwork for case files, corroborate evidence presented by prosecutors, and lead to higher numbers of guilty pleas in court proceedings.
Training opportunities
The use of body-worn cameras also gives EBI potential opportunities to enhance training. EBI trainers and executives can assess a collection agent or bailiff’s activities and behaviour captured by body-worn cameras either through investigations, or from calls to concern regarding professionalism among collection agents or bailiffs and new employees.
REQUEST FOR BODYCAM FOOTAGE FROM EBI
Upon completion of the form below, and subsequent authorization, Exodus Bailiffs will schedule a hassle-free pick up of your unit at a time and place most convenient for you. Our bailiffs will arrive in plain clothes, and will drive or haul your unit to our storage compound to begin the assessment and reporting process to your finance company. No tow trucks (unless required), no uniforms, no embarrassment.
Once the unit has been inventoried and assessed, Exodus Bailiffs will provide a report to your finance company within 24 hours detailing the condition and location of your unit. If for any reason Exodus Bailiffs does not receive instructions from your creditor to effect seizure within a reasonable time frame, Exodus Bailiffs will contact your trustee or credit counsellor directly to seek further instruction.
As a licensed Repossession Agency, Exodus Bailiffs’ priority is to ensure the equity in your unit is preserved for the lien holder, and we do not assess heavy fees that make it difficult for the creditor to realize their security interest.