"There's a lot of cash involved, so you're kind of a target," he said.
This is an incredibly strong indicator that the social mores in the bad parts of town have broken down completely.
It used to be that, no matter HOW bad the neighborhood, 3 groups of people were sacrosanct and the boyz n da hood wouldn't touch them: the public health nurse, the penny-premium life insurance salesman, and the bail bondsman. Everybody needed them worse than they needed whatever valuables they might be carrying.
Now it's every man for himself.
You forgot one: The Probation & Parole Officer. Nobody ever messed with me when I carried that badge back in the 1980s. In fact since as an ex-army officer I was usually given the baddest of the bad when the new arrivals came into the office I was allowed the luxury of being armed when it was not dept policy. However according to law we were certified state law enforcement officers and able to be lawfully armed. My boss said that due to my expertise in weapons (XO of the division pistol team when I was active duty) and an infantry captain to boot, they figured it was an idea that supported my continued employment and survival. He just warned me that if I ever had to shoot..... make sure it was a good shoot. Thereafter I carried a 1911 45.
But my real insurance was my BAD actors. I told these guys up front that if anybody in the 'hood ever messed with me or my vehicle that I'd violate their parole and put them back inside. Believe me, nobody who has ever been to a real state prison ever wants to return! Folks on Probation are actually harder to handle 'cause they've only spent time in a county lock-up. They think that makes them real baaaaaaad dudes. They have no idea that they'd have a hard time surviving the predators in the state prison.
Anyway, whenever I had a new "client" (lol) he'd always introduce me around the 'hood and he'd tell them flat out: "Look here, this white man is my PO. You mess with him or that car over there and you'll answer to ME! That was that. No problems ever. These days many POs are armed as a matter of course and the situation has deteriorated. The young studs have no respect for the old lobos and in fact the young 'uns are often looking to knock off the old guys for dominance of the area. Now it really is everyone for themselves.