AFA Addresses Surge in Repossession Violence

Five repossession related shootings in three weeks… two in the same week.

The members of Allied Finance Adjusters and Eagle Group XX/USA are appalled and saddened by the everyday violence that has become a common occurrence in the asset recovery industry. We feel very strongly about this issue and recognize that something must be done before more lives are lost. AFA Addresses Surge in Repossession Violence

Working together, Eagle Group XX and Allied Finance Adjusters have attempted to discover the “Root Cause” of this trend of increased violence and explore ways to decrease and mitigate the occurrence of violent acts.

There has always been a certain risk in our industry as repossession is the most invasive process in the entire lending cycle. One only must-read Kevin Armstrong’s excellent documentary book, “REPO BLOOD”, to get an idea of the violence associated with the recovery industry but previously to the last few years the violence appears isolated and rare, whereas today it is an everyday occurrence and appears to be increasing at an alarming rate.

We looked closely at geographics and demographics to see if violence predominated in certain areas of the country, certain states, certain cities, and we found no direct correlation of any of these factors to violence in the industry. Violence appears to occur in all areas, states, cities, and income ranges of the United States.

Training programs to promote awareness and safety such as the Situational Awareness and Confrontational Avoidance Techniques (SACAT) have been written by the Eagle Group XX and made AFA Addresses Surge in Repossession Violence available at no cost to all members of the asset recovery industry on the Allied Finance Adjusters web site. The Eagle Group XX has gone so far as to prepare a new training module on Confrontational Avoidance & De-Escalation Techniques (CADET), but these programs, which encourage and instruct recovery agency employes to constantly remain alert, practice observance skills, develop good communication skills, and stay mentally and physically strong can only take the industry members so far.

Together Allied Finance Adjusters and Eagle Group XX/USA are seeking answers to discover the “Root Cause” of this violent behavior, directly attack the “Root Cause” and develop mitigating strategies to decrease the possibility of violent consumer behavior. Eagle Group XX members will be presenting the updated 2023 version of SACAT/CADET at the Allied Finance Adjusters Mid-Year Conference as well as hosting a Panel of Recovery Industry Subject Matter Experts related to this subject.

Because of Allied Finance Adjuster dedication to the repossession industry, we are inviting everyone, member or not to attend this event. We are encouraging you as an owner to consider bringing along at least one or possibly all your key recovery personnel. This training along with future enhanced training events could save an agent’s life. It has become quite imperative based on the everyday attacks against our employees that the day of hook and book or interaction with debtors has become.

We all know that every day different scenarios present themselves in this industry, that there is no way unless you have advanced warning of possible danger during a repossession you can predict the outcome.

We cannot predict someone running from a home gun drawn prepared to do battle over their vehicles. But we can train for it. We’ve all seen it and most of us can judge by the personalities of our agents how they are going to, or have reacted to different situations.

Those of us as owners who still get in trucks and repo still think of repossession as an everyday event, well times as changed and the general public’s attitude towards law enforcement and authority has changed. Those changes in attitude and the current environment have put us all in danger. We are dealing, as a repossession company, with individuals that feel they are entitled and that the contract they signed with the lender is merely a formality and that you are not taking my car for missing payments. They feel that violence is justified in their actions, and that there will be no repercussions if they shoot and kill our employees. THIS IS THE ENVIRONMENT WE HAVE CREATED.

Allied Finance Adjusters and Eagle XX/USA have begun working on letters that we will be sending to key individuals in every state making them aware of what’s been happening within our industry. We are currently looking at states who have band or regulated the use of body armor by private non felons within their states. We are working on presenting the states with alternatives to their objections surrounding repo personal using body armor to protect themselves. Let us be clear we are not proposing our agents along with the body armor be allowed to carry firearms we are asking that they give the agent a fighting chance to retreat in the event of gun violence.

Along with the advanced training we are currently offering at this year’s Mid-Year conference we continue to work on developing additional online or in-person training surrounding situational awareness and violence avoidance techniques.

With the future training modules to come, our goal is to enhance our personnel’s awareness and bring every agent home at the end of their day.

Because of Allied Finance Directors and Eagle Group XX/USA dedication to the industry Allied is inviting to this year’s Mid-Year conference every member along with any MEMBERS or NONMEMBERS of any industry group to attend this important event. We encourage you, as company owners, to consider bringing not one of your key personnel but every agent that interacts with debtors. Our agents need to know that it is imperative that they be aware of their surroundings and be ever mindful of the possible dangers that could present themselves.

You’re all invited to attend this years Allied Mid-Year Conference in sunny Las Vegas Navada November 12th to the 15th at the Golden Nugget. We have set aside the 12th for travel and the 15th will be used for our executive committee meeting. The 13th we have dedicated to a day long lock smithing class, we will have in class and on hands training. With the changes that are presenting themselves when it comes to key cutting on site this and our future key cutting training events will surely benefit everyone. The 14th will be classroom training to include our enhanced situational awareness, violence avoidance and de-escalation techniques training.

I urge everyone to get their room reservations soon as we have a limited time to use our room block due to a motorsport event happening in Vegas later that same week. Please don’t procrastinate, you might not get a room.