First person: Former jailer turns bounty hunter

Anthony Gutierrez parlayed four and a half years in corrections into a career as a bounty hunter. He didn’t like what he called “baby-sitting,” but he enjoyed working with the law.

Point of view: I worked at the Curry County Adult Detention Center for four and a half years. But I didn’t like baby-sitting the inmates. Now I go out and get them when they jump bond. Some of them get mad at me, but I tell them, ‘All you had to do was show up to court and you wouldn’t be in handcuffs.”

Hold the paperwork: I like my job because I don’t have to do reports or fill anything out on them. I just look for them and put them in jail. They print out a pink slip saying I caught them and that’s pretty much my paycheck.

Tools of the trade: Because I put the people I catch in jail, I have to get crazy once and a while. One time, I was chasing some guy on foot and I’ll finally caught up to him and he started swinging at me. I just pull out my pepper spray. I also have a Taser gun but I only used it once because a guy I was chasing pulled out some kind of shank. All I use is pepper spray, a Taser gun, my handcuffs and a cell phone. I’ve got to be ready to defend myself.

Question time: I always ask them why they didn’t just show up to court. Some say they just forgot and some of them just don’t care. They’re always in trouble with the law so this time is nothing new for them.

Reality TV bites: The show about bounty hunters Dog the Bounty Hunter is nothing like it is for real. They find their guys quickly. It takes us a day or a week or a month. We don’t know when we’re going to find them. And we have time limits for when we have to catch them. I don’t like watching the show because it’s unrealistic. But no one would know that until you do it in real life.

Position filled: I have three jobs now. I work as a bounty hunter, part-time at Applebee’s and at New Visions Group home. I have bills to pay. I work a lot to take care of my four boys.

Recreational activities: I take my boys fishing almost every week at Greene Acres Park. It’s just something we all like to do. I also play softball in the summer league with a group of friends.

Young apprentice: My youngest son, Brandon, wants to be a bounty hunter like his dad. I’ll see him and he’ll ask me ‘Did you fight any bad guys today Daddy?’ I’ll talk to him about it some. If he wants to do it, then it’s a good extra job.

Pitching in: I was born and raised in Clovis. I like living here because it’s peaceful and all my family and friends are here. I feel like I’m kind of helping Clovis because I’m putting the bad guys away.