Archive for category: General Investigations

We had a client who hired us, gave us all the information we needed, paid the retainer and did everything exactly as a sound client should do. We then started the surveillance and found that the subject was heated up and spent 45 minutes driving around aimlessly, stopping every few miles, cutting through shopping malls, etc. etc. Ultimately, we had no choice but to let him go. When the private investigator conducting the surveillance called the client, she was suprised and then told the PI that he had caught the last private investigator she hired four days before. This little detail would have been very helpful for us to know. Had we known, we could have done the job with a second investigator (or even a third), rather than one, and we would have had a fair chance of staying with him undetected. Remember, tell your private investigator EVERYTHING. Be honest and detailed. It will be the best insurance that your money is well spent.

We had an unusual question from a new client that ask how private investigators can conduct surveillance without being considered “stalkers”. For clarity, being a licensed private investigator does not mean that we are exempt from stalking laws. A Private Investigator can stalk someone and be prosecuted for it, so the issue is about stalking in general and how one becomes a stalker. In general, stalking involves unauthorized contact with someone. It always involves multiple contacts and it must be reported. Once the “stalker” is made aware of the fact that they are not to follow, contact, etc. the person, then the stalking laws apply. In our business, if we are detected, the surveillance should end. That way no further contact is made and stalking does not occur.

We frequently have clients who ask about getting hidden video footage inside a place of employment, restaurant, hotel, etc. When faced with this type of surveillance, our investigators have hidden cameras that allow us to follow the subject or even sit next to them while filming them without any visible signs of a camera. Most of these cameras are stitched into a jacket, blazer or shirt. The recording devices are very small and allow us complete freedom of movement. We do have problems in some environments. Sporting events, airports, strip clubs and casinos are all areas where we cannot easily get a hidden camera inside.

Timing of surveillance is everything. Despite how good your private investigator is at surveillance, the road conditions can make or break the surveillance. No one can keep up with an aggressive driver operating in heavy rush hour traffic in a major metropolitan area like Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, DC, Miami, Atlanta, Detroit, Houston, Dallas or San Diego. If they do stay with the subject, the private investigators odds of being detected increases 200%. The only way to counter such obstacles is to use a vehicles tracker (where legal) or to utilize a second (or third) private investigator.

If you have been recording your spouses telephone calls or are considering, please stop! Recorded phone calls are illegal! Even if it’s your telephone, it is against the law for you or a private investigator to record phone calls. Further, if you have recorded phone calls, please do not share this with us. We cannot be involved in this in any fashion… and we highly recommend that you not be involved either. There are other legal services we can provide if you think your spouse is cheating. Contact us today for more information at (844) 394-9720.