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In a world fraught with deception, misinformation and cheating, you may need a professional, skilled and experienced private investigator who can ethically and lawfully obtain requisite information for you.

Know Your Objective

It is imperative to know how to describe what kind or...

melbournepi

About Melbourne PI

Tell me a little about J P Read Investigations. How did it get started and where are you now?

J P Read Investigations was started in 2000 with just myself sub contracting to Workcover Accredited Investigations firms. I had been previously working for another investigation firm in Melbourne on the surveillance team where I got a crash course in surveillance, standing on cold wet street corners watching doors, standing in hallways for hours waiting for the subjects to leave their doctors appointments and I just loved it and I had a real passion for it so I decided to venture out and start my own company.

I decided early on video surveillance would be the only aspect of investigations that J P Read Investigations would provide. Our clients were impressed from the start, our passion shining through in early results. Word got around quickly and a business was born. We still provide video surveillance to our 3 original clients today.

The company has evolved into Melbourne's premier surveillance firms in both the private and corporate sectors. My role now is split between operations and surveillance.

What types of surveillance services do we focus on?

Our primary focus is insurance fraud – major liability claims, income protections claims and personal injury cases where the plaintiffs are suspected of exaggerating their claims to cash in on their lawsuit. We also do surveillance for general liability, matrimonial and disability.

In the end, surveillance is surveillance regardless of what type it is as long as you understand the objectives. Whether it be a subject building a rock wall or a spouse cheating – the video is the same. It’s about strategy and understanding human behavior.

With over 20 years of exclusive dedication to video surveillance, we have become experts in understanding human behavior, putting ourselves in the best possible position to achieve maximum results on behalf of our clients.

Describe what a day in the life of a surveillance investigator is typically like?

We start very early, typically no later than a 5am wake-up as you have to be on location by 6 am before your subject starts their day.

Once on location you take your opening shot, with a date and time stamp to authenticate the video. The opening shot is important, as it is the “beginning” of the story. Our surveillance videos tell a story, with a beginning, middle and an end.

After you take your opening shot you must establish your surveillance position accounting for the various circumstances each surveillance offers from a rural setting dealing with various routes to the main roads and to urban settings with tall buildings with hundreds of people exiting multiple exits.

Once you have all the logistics worked out, you sit and wait. This is the hardest part of the job. To maintain your focus for hours waiting for the moment when your subject exit then you spring into action. The rush, the moment you got up in the morning for, it may happen at 6:10 am or 3:55 pm, 5 minutes before you cut off the surveillance some days it doesn't happen at all.

The “middle” when surveillance begins and you follow your subject discreetly to where ever they take you. Could be just to walk the dog or to the deli down the street for the newspaper, perhaps for a days work! You never know where you will end up on surveillance, you must be prepared for everything and anything.

We follow on foot, buses, taxis, trains, cars, sometimes all in the same hour. Hoping in out of our own vehicles, parking them, diving back in, only to park them again. We do whatever it takes to get video of our subjects, making sure the video is steady and professional throughout.

Ultimately the subject gets to a destination. Either back home after a series of errands and appointments or a destination like a friends or lovers house. This is the “end” of our story.

Of course there are days where you just sit there all day and nothing happens and at 4 pm you call the surveillance off and arrive home at 6pm. You get out of your vehicle for the first time in 13+ hours and your a bit stiff.

What is the most difficult part of a surveillance investigators job?

The hardest part of a surveillance investigators job is that unlike the movies we get just one take to shoot our videos just right. There are no do overs or opportunities to go back and try again.

If a subject jumps over a puddle and you miss it on video the opportunity is lost forever. If a claimant picks up a case of beer on each shoulder at the local bottle shop and carries it out and you are out of focus, the opportunity is gone. You can’t ask them to go back and carry it again. If your subject walks hand in hand with his mistress across a parking lot and your battery dies you missed the shot the opportunity is gone. You will never get that chance again to film that million dollar video.

This is not Hollywood. A private investigators video surveillance has to be perfect to get the the result clients demand.

What are the keys to conducting a successful surveillance?

Preparation, Planning, Focus & Tenacity.

Preparation - It starts in the office, working up the case to ensure you have all the details on your subject before going into the field. Checking Facebook/Twitter for a profile, confirming you are going to the right location and that your subject, to the best of your ability lives at that location. Ensure that you have all your batteries charged and equipment prepared for the field before you arrive on-site and not fumbling with everything when you should be taking your opening shot and watching the door.

Planning - Have a solid plan to approach individual surveillance to maximize the results. No two surveillance’s are the same. Each requires a plan all their own based on the characteristics of each individual. Work or school schedule, alleged injuries, where they live, age, relationships, modes of transportation available, etc. Once on-site, the plan must be refined according to the environment. How close are they to any train stations or bus stops. Additional unknown vehicles in the driveway, can you see the house from the street? Can you park on the street anywhere near the home discreetly, number of exits from the building, etc.

Focus - Maintaining your focus throughout the course of a surveillance is paramount. It only takes a second for a door to open and close. Much can be learned or lost in that moment.

Tenacity - You must be tenacious day in and day out to constantly acquire video on your clients behalf. The environment, weather and location of the surveillance is constantly changing from moment to moment, place to place. There are a multitude of outside factors trying to prevent you from acquiring great video – whether it be traffic, a school bus, a nosy neighbor, a busy parking lot, a crowded train or an empty train station. You must be tenacious through it all and press on undetected to get great video… and we do.

What are your biggest challenges in conducting a surveillance investigation?

The biggest challenge we face on a surveillance is identifying the subject or claimant. We are usually given a physical description of the subject or claimant when we receive the case and that is all we have to go on.

When the subject lives in a one family home this is usually sufficient. However, when there are multiple families living in one home or in an apartment building the chore of identifying the subject becomes a challenging task to say the least. Yet, we do overcome the obstacle through a variety of checks and balances.

What would is the key differentiation between J P Read Investigations and other surveillance Firms?

I believe the number one thing that separates J P Read Investigations from other investigators is that we are exclusivity dedicated to video surveillance. We have been for over 20 years and will always be. We are experts at video surveillance. We live, eat and breath video surveillance. We constantly talk about the angles, strategies, setups, environments. Any advantage we can to acquire video on a subject based on a specific surveillance’s unique challenges.

There is an art & science to video surveillance, which we have spent countless hours perfecting. You don’t just buy a video camera and start following someone and call it surveillance. The outcome will will not yield the same results as a trained dedicated professional.

Another key point that set J P Read Investigations apart is that we shoot all of our surveillance videos in High Definition with a date and time stamp. We have been doing this for a while now and the quality of our videos is superior in this format. I do believe we pioneered surveillance video in HD and have received nothing but high praise from our clients since rolling it out.

Since the company was founded, what has changed about the surveillance business?

The 2014 surveillance landscape is much more competitive today than it was in 2000 due to the inexpensive nature of the cameras making it easy for anyone with a private investigators license to offer the service.

However, this does not mean they are experts or offering a quality product. In fact, I believe it spreads themselves thin from their core focus in which they originally started their business and ultimately diluting all of their offerings. Jack of all trades, master of none.

What type of technology do you use to help streamline your business?

In recent months we have upgraded our internal systems to allow for a paperless office. While it is the trendy environmentally friendly thing to do, it also allows us to update surveillance cases from anywhere pushing information through to our investigators immediately, regardless of where they are.

No more printing assignments and being bound to the “static” paper document. We are now dynamic, on the fly. If new pictures of a subject are acquired they can be routed to the field investigator immediately, in real time along with new relevant search results or details that may have come in after the fact. It has made a huge difference in our ability to react quickly to changing circumstances.

For people who are looking for a surveillance investigator, what should they be looking for?

If you are looking to hire a private investigator to conduct Video Surveillance you should look for five things:

1) Insure that they are licensed in the state in which you intend to hire them.

2) Make sure that all of their videos are authenticated with a date and time stamp on every scene. If there is no date and time stamp the video will not be admitted as evidence into court, it will be worthless.

3) Ask the private investigator you are hiring what type of plan they would implement for you’re specific surveillance scenario. Every surveillance is different and your potential investigator should have no problem sharing their ideas with you upfront.

4) Don't jump at the cheapest price. Like in all walks of life – you get what you pay for. J P Read Investigations uses only fully licensed experienced surveillance investigators on every case a "trainee" will not work alone on your case. This is not a corner that should ever be cut nor comprised for any reason. You pay a bit more but the return pays for itself 100 fold in the results as the second most import thing after trying to obtain the video is avoiding getting made.

Once the surveillance is compromised and a subject is aware you can never follow that person again with out them looking over their shoulder limiting all future success. Experienced Investigators have ability for conducting surveillance undetected, allowing for multiple attempts and increasing your chance for success.

5) Finally, the most important credential to look for when hiring a private investigator to conduct surveillance is their ability to testify on the stand. Being an expert witness is the most overlooked aspect of hiring an investigator for video surveillance, yet it is the second half of the service you are hired for. J P Read Investigations has testified many times authenticating their video’s in court and are considered to be highly credible expert witnesses.

Melbourne PI

#Private Investigation #private detective #private investigator #melbournepi #surveiilance #Investigator #video #j p read investigations

melbournepi

Know Your Objective

It is imperative to know how to describe what kind or...

HIRING AN INVESTIGATOR

Know Your Objective

It is imperative to know how to describe what kind or investigation you are seeking. Do not call a Private Investigator and ask “what are your rates and what kind of investigations do you do.” That will immediately send up a red flag to the investigator that you have not thought out exactly what you want or need a private investigator to do for you. Think what is most important for you to know. If it’s a business related matter, ask the private investigator if they perform the services you need. As an example, your a sales rep is not answering your calls or returning calls and you are unsure of there trustworthiness. You would then ask the investigator how they would obtain the information you require.

Another example is when you want to know what it would take to learn if your spouse or significant other is being unfaithful to you. You would ask the investigator if they conduct infidelity surveillance and if so, can they tell you what their rates are. Prior to making the calls to various investigators, think about what would be the ideal time to have the surveillance started. Would it be in the morning, afternoon after they leave work, on the weekends and etc? You should understand that the only professional procedure for commencing surveillance is to know exactly where the person you want

surveillance on is at. You cannot start surveillance without a specific location on where that person will be at the time surveillance commences. Trying to locate where the subject of the surveillance is at by you guessing is a waste of your time and money. You should always ask the investigator what is their hourly and kilometer rates are, where it is charge from in most cases investigators charge from their office or an agreed location and what evidence will they provide you after the surveillance is over. The investigator should assure you that they will deliver to you a DVD that shows the date and time stamp on the video. Inquire about the investigator’s experience with surveillance, the kind of camera they use and if their vehicles have tinted windows so not to be seen by the subject. Investigative fees vary but seeking out the cheapest investigator usually turns out to be the most costly because you only will have to do the surveillance all over again if the inexpensive investigator fails to provide you with evidence that their surveillance assignment was carried out as you requested. Keep in mind that top notch surveillance investigators are constantly busy and they make a lot of money working several cases a week because insurance companies always have lots of work for investigators. If, among all your calls you find one or two investigator that quote you a much lower fee than the rest, you probably contacted a very poor and inexperienced investigator who cannot find work.

Do Your Homework

Make sure you feel 100% comfortable that the investigator you are about to retain can deliver what is promised. Check the private investigator’s license with the State authority that issues private investigator licenses. In Victoria, it is the Victoria Police Licensing.

Should you feel that the private investigator you called appeared to be knowledgeable and made you feel comfortable, ask if the investigator will be providing you with a written retainer agreement. All professional private investigators should present you with a retainer agreement prior to commencing the assignment.

Be a Great Detective & Research

To find a great investigator you need to be a good detective by conducting your own research. Good luck and call us if we can be of help to you.

Melbourne PI

#Hiring a private investigator Melbourne Private Investigations Melbourne Private Investigator Melbpi Private detective private investigation

Luck and Getting a Result

Getting great results as a private investigator can be done in ways that seem like an art form. Sometimes we act or play a part. Sometimes our experience guides us in the right direction (and sometimes the wrong direction). One piece of information can break a case wide open for us and can make all the difference in the world. And sometimes some mundane information or a lot of luck can be the difference between going home after 4 hours and working 8 hour days. If you’ve done surveillance as a private investigator then you know what I am talking about. For those not understanding my reference, I am only referring to the fact that private investigators are typically not guaranteed a certain amount of hours each day. Many times it’s only our skill and luck that allows us to work 8 hours (or more) a day.

Here's a story of not unusual circumstances but just plain luck that got an outcome that made the client and myself happy with the result

The story is a bit more exciting in regards to catching someone scamming the system blatantly. The way we caught this claimant was nothing short of a lucky miracle. Keep on reading to learn how one small break changed everything.

So let me set the scene.

The company I own received an assignment to find a claimant at his known medical appointment and to follow the claimant to his residence. Apparently the client wasn’t able to get a good address for the claimant and following a claimant from their medical appointment is typical in the insurance fraud industry. The claimant had told the insurance company that he was homeless and was living out of his car. No addresses that we had for the claimant were current. This medical appointment was critical to future surveillance efforts.

An investigator on my team located the claimant at his appointment which happened be at a large and busy medical clinic on Little Collin St, Melbourne. For those familiar with Little Collins St it is a one way street with very limited parking and not the ideal place for discreet surveillance. When the claimant left the appointment the investigator followed him on foot through the laneways of Melbourne to the Flinders Street Train Station where he boarded a Ringwood bound train. One stop later at Richmond Train Station the claimant got off the train and exited the station onto Bridge Rd where he stood observing people leaving the station. Unfortunately our investigator was one them and determined that the claimant maybe aware of his presence. Well trained Private Investigators will always discontinue surveillance immediately if they believe they have compromised (there is always tomorrow). Just to be clear, there is no reason why the claimant should have been suspicious. It was quickly determined that the claimant was actually looking for anyone to be following him home which to me is a clear indicator that something was not right about the surveillance case. My impression at the time was that the claimant was either up to no good (which means working or not really hurt), the case had been worked by another company and surveillance may of been compromised, or the claimant had been coached by his lawyer. There was a slim chance that the investigator working the surveillance had done something so terribly wrong that the claimant was made aware of the investigator’s presence.

A few weeks late the case was reassigned for another appointment that the claimant had however this time another investigator and myself would be working the surveillance (a 2up). The investigator working with me was new to surveillance and still on probation with our company. The claimant arrived to his known medical appointment. This the appointment was on the outskirts of the Melbourne City on Smith St, Fitzroy opposite a McDonald's Restaurant which made surveillance alot more easier. The claimant departed after he had finished his appointment and entered the McDonald's Restaurant this time the claimant had a vehicle. The other investigator and myself began to follow him onto the freeway. The new investigator took the lead and I stayed back further in case the other investigator needed to switch positions with me. I was watching for even the smallest indicators that the claimant was on to us following him.

All was going well until the claimant traveled through two lanes of traffic and got off the freeway. Because the investigator was following the claimant in his lane, he was forced to cross two lanes at the last moment as well. This essentially ruined his chances of following the claimant and had to pull off the surveillance per my request.

I did my best to follow the claimant but he continued to do loops around the back streets of Blackburn. It was clear to me that he had no clear destination and I eventually lost sight of him in the neighborhood while trying not get to caught as well. The case was eventually closed without ever finding out where the claimant actually lived.

Six months later as I was traveling home from a surveillance job I recognized the claimant's vehicle traveling along Maroondah Hwy, Ringwood. Without thought I began to follow him, hoping that he would lead me to his home. The claimant was not going to his home, instead I followed him to a nearby bowling alley where he entered.

I immediately called the client. The client was beside themselves with joy of what was unfolding and allowed me to begin surveillance on the man that had eluded surveillance. This time he had no idea having probably already done his anti surveillance techniques he thought he was in the clear.

I entered the bowling alley and found him bowling. He wasn’t just casually bowling but rather bowling much better with than the average bowler. I filmed him bowling for a hour or so, but it wasn’t my main focus. All I wanted to do was to follow this man back to his home so I had an address to begin surveillance the next day. The claimant eventually finished practicing, returned to his vehicle and departed. I followed very closely as it was all or nothing and he had no reason to believe anyone was following him. He eventually arrived at his home, an address in North Ringwood. I finished the day with a few unexpected surveillance hours, a happy a client that would think twice before every considering another company when needing an assignment completed.

The client assigned more surveillance on the claimant and we dug a bit deeper as well. We found out that the claimant was a team captain involved in a local bowling league which in turn gave us dates to watch him during his league match.

On one surveillance date I followed him to a different bowling alley with his teenage son. I grabbed my indoor camera bag and entered the bowling alley trying looking like a bowler. While I was filming the claimant teaching the teenager how to bowl, I to had a bowl in the neighbouring lane with the claimant totally unaware of my presences. I then followed him back home when they were finished.

The last time surveillance was conducted on the claimant was during a league match. I sat with my wife who occasionally comes with me to help me "blend in" near the claimant and filmed him for well over two hours as he bowled his league match. The claimant was very happy with himself getting a high score and his team winning the match but I don't think he is going to be so happy when he seen all the video obtained on him. I don’t think we even followed him home when he was done.

When it was all said and done the client was happy. Word spread in the office and the case was even commented on in an interoffice newsletter. Needless to say it was cases like this one that not only helped me gain several more cases and the trust from the client. And that kind of trust goes along way when you trying expand your own business.

www.jprinvestigations.com

melbournepi

What is it like to be a private investigator?

What is it like to be a private investigator? This should be the question you if you are interested in this line of work. A private investigation career has its good points and its bad points. Typically I think the bad points stand out more than the good points. With that being said, I probably would not be in this career unless there was something good to say about it. Just because I talk about some of the struggles in this industry does not mean it isn’t a good industry to be in.From years of running my own investigation firm. When interviewing a candidate for a position as a private investigator, I believed the best thing I could do for that potential employee who is new to the industry, is try to talk them out of the job. If they still show interest after our conversation, then they moved on in the hiring process.

To begin with what it’s like to be a private investigator, I am going to share some insight into some of the things that I know other investigators have disliked and some of the things I disliked about this profession. So here are some reasons you might not want to be a private investigator in no specific order.

#1.) No Set Schedule

Whether you have your own private investigation business or you work for a company you will have to be incredibly flexible with your schedule. You can get a call to work unexpectedly for an assignment on the same day as the call, or you may have to work unexpectedly longer hours during a surveillance. You may travel several hours to a surveillance assignment and be out of town for several days. Then just when the assignment is about to be complete the client will ask you to stay a few more days away from home. Let me be the first to tell you this is extremely hard on a family.

If you turn down an assignment as a business owner, that client will be forced to take their business elsewhere. When taking their business elsewhere they will likely be able to find a company that will not turn down assignments and you may never see work from that client again.

So basically picture a lifestyle where it is very difficult to plan anything due to the flexibility that a private investigator must have. Imagine missing holidays, birthdays and being away from home for extended periods of time. Much of this is in reference to the life of a surveillance investigator and even a domestic investigator dealing with cheating spouse cases. Investigators supporting attorneys may have a bit more of a normal lifestyle with less travel, but there will be extended unpredictable hours of operation.

#2.) Some Danger Involved

You might not think there is any danger associated with this industry but I can tell you first hand that there is plenty of it. Private Investigators supporting attorney’s with gathering evidence might not find themselves in positions of danger as often as a surveillance investigator.

Insurance Fraud investigators will likely find their dangerous moments with aggressive claimants, witnesses and/or neighbors. Early in my private investigation career I found myself being caught (the person I was watching figured out I was watching them) quite a bit. Much of it was due to inexperience and enthusiasm. Once the individual realizes they were being followed they are likely to make it very apparent that they know you are there. Some individuals have followed me for extended periods and I've been lead to isolated areas or no through roads and been theatened. Some of my fellow coworkers in the past have been blocked in to a parking spot by the individual’s vehicle, or had knives pulled out on them. These are just some of my experiences. These types of situations can be very traumatizing to an investigator or anyone for that matter. This is something to consider when conducting surveillance.

#3.) Uncomfortable Moments

Being a private investigator requires you to have very many uncomfortable moments. In surveillance you are required to park in a neighborhood as discreetly as possible. Neighbors are looking in your vehicle windows, kids are playing around your vehicle, you become extremely paranoid that you are moments away from something bad happening. In some situations neighbors confront you as to why you are parked in the area and you do your best to justify your presence in the neighborhood with a pretext. Meanwhile, you are hoping that the person you are watching doesn’t catch wind of you being in the neighborhood and you also hope that the neighbors don’t figure out who you are or who you are watching.

When interviewing claimant’s, or witnesses, there will be uncomfortable moments where there is some defensiveness or hostility on behalf of the individual being interviewed.

#4.) No Dependable Paycheck

Whether you are a business owner or you are working for an agency, you never truly know the amount of work you will receive from week to week. Most likely you are accustom to a dependable schedule with a check that is the same amount every week. This is not true for the private investigation industry. Most private investigators employed with a company will never have a guaranteed paycheck every week unless they are a salaried employee. Most salaried employees with a private investigation agency work in an office environment.

If you are a field investigator you may work assignments for 1 to 8 hours. A surveillance might be scheduled for eight hours but you could be compromised, lose them during the investigation, or you might not be able to determine if they are home. Your day might be completed at the 4 hour mark and either you will have to make up the lost time on another day or the client might ask that you discontinue surveillance efforts and send them a bill. There have been times where I have traveled 4 hours to a case to only work 4 hours and then return home. This type of day can feel like a waste time but it is part of the job.

#5.) Wear and Tear on your vehicle

If you want to be a surveillance investigator, be prepared to put anywhere from 60,000 to 100,000 Klms on your vehicle in a given year. Keep in mind all of the maintenance on your vehicle each year.

In most cases investigators are responsible for all the maintenance of their vehicle. We do get compensated for each kilometer we travel for each case but that does not cover the wear and tear on the vehicle from cold starts to running over middle strips to get good result for the client. Just keep in mind that the life of your vehicle will be much shorter as a surveillance investigator. Note do not buy a vehicle previously used by an investigator!

#6.) It can be expensive

Just simply running a private investigation business can be extremely costly. Consider gas prices, insurance, maintenance on your vehicle, phone lines, fax lines, office space (if needed), advertisement, purchasing equipment and licensing fees.

If you are working for someone, you typically need to maintain/purchase your own equipment (computer, video camera, covert cameras, computer, cell phone, digital recorder, tri-pod, mono-pod). If work slows down for the company you are working for, you will either have to live off of what you saved over the year or find something to replace that income temporarily. This is something I and many other investigators have had to deal with throughout our careers.

#7.) You are only as good as your last investigation

“You are only as good as your last investigation” is something you will most likely hear throughout your career. Insurance companies will only remember you “typically” for the last assignment you worked. If the surveillance you performed was lousy, then that might be how they remember you or the company you work for. It doesn’t matter how may surveillance cases you knocked out of the park, or how many great interviews you obtained, clients have short memories. It seems like a tough life to live, but if you keep that in mind with every assignment, you will likely keep the company you are working for, or the client happy.

Exceptions to the rule

Your experience as a private investigator will not be the same as mine or any other investigator. You will likely feel much of the frustrations I and many other investigators have dealt with over the years. There are awesome and gratifying experiences as a private investigator, but I believe in preparing for the worst parts and enjoying the good moments as they come.

That wraps up some general issues with the industry that you should be prepared for. There are plenty of other topics I could have discussed but I will save it for a future post.

www.jprinvestigations.com

#Private Investigation #private investigator #surveillance #job profile #Melbourne #melbournepi #private detective #Investigator #Investigations

The Secrets Of Surveillance

I receive numerous phone calls asking the same question: How do you do surveillance? One woman who called recently said she’d been trying to follow her husband. (I assume for infidelity reasons.) But, in her words, “Other cars keep getting in my way, and I always lose him. Do you guys not let that happen … or something?” Despite what you see in movies and television, cars get in our way, too. So how do private investigators do surveillance? It depends on the investigator. There is no definitive how-to book on surveillance. The way an investigator does surveillance is often a reflection of his personality. If he is careless, aggressive, or anxious, then there’s a good chance those traits will be visible in his cases. If he’s measured and observant, that’ll show, too. So, how do I do surveillance? I am patient. When you’re on surveillance, time doesn’t fly. It creeps. Surveillance has made me a much more patient person. Not just while doing cases. It’s made me more patient at home, in public and private life, and pretty much whenever I deal with people. I’m comfortable waiting. In fact, I really enjoy it. Waiting gives me a chance to observe things. I listen to conversations and watch behavior. I don’t think an impatient person could do this job. It would be like someone who’s afraid of flying working as a flight attendant. I trust my judgment. Most of the time, surveillance is done solo. An investigator works alone and operates independently. You choose your own strategies. It’s not an office environment where you can easily bounce ideas off co-workers or refer to a policy manual. In surveillance, there’s not always a right answer, just answers that turn out to be right. When I work a case, I try to make decisions thoughtfully, not rashly — even when I need to decide quickly. I analyze and calculate. I consider all my options. If there’s a better formula for trusting your own judgment, I haven’t found it. I’m comfortable anywhere. Surveillance happens everywhere: blighted urban environments, rural farming communities, suburban neighborhoods, and corporate office parks. I certainly don’t enjoy some of the places I go, but I always seem to settle in. I’ve had weeks where I went from a high-crime public housing development to an isolated coal mining operation. You never know where this job is going to take you. Learning to adapt to different environments is part of the job’s charm. I make good decisions, fast. The person you’re following doesn’t leave you breadcrumbs. Maintaining surveillance is contingent upon your ability to make good decisions quickly. A moment of indecisiveness will lead to your subject being lost in traffic, a parking garage, an off-ramp, etc. Surveillance doesn’t give you mulligans. All you can do is quickly process your environment and commit to your decision. I am thoughtful. I suppose thoughtfulness isn’t a prerequisite to do this job. But since this is about how I do surveillance, I felt it should be included. I care about my reputation. I also care about the general reputation of private investigators (which is sketchy). I’ve never seen an investigator benefit from making others feel uncomfortable or by using intimidation. When I work a case, I try to be thoughtful of the other people in the neighborhood who are unconnected to the reasons I’m there. Being polite, friendly, and considerate has gotten me far on cases. Part of this job is convincing (not coercing) people to offer information. In my experience, people generally like being helpful, but not if you make them feel uncomfortable. If the neighborhood or local law enforcement turns on you, then you aren’t doing the job properly. A private investigator isn’t a bully; he’s a diplomat. Besides, it’s just not in my personality to intimidate people. I try to be as genuine as possible while maintaining discretion and privacy – that’s what works for me. So what’s the secret of surveillance? Experience Surveillance isn’t a DIY activity for non-professionals (which is unfortunate for the woman who called me). The secret isn’t fancy equipment, cutting-edge technology, or tradecraft trickery. It just takes experience, good mentoring, and someone with the proper mentality to perform the job. It takes a long time to become a good surveillance investigator. But if you have the right personality, you’ll eventually develop a feel for it. You’ll see the road better and be able to anticipate the movement of traffic. You’ll learn to make better decisions more quickly. Novice investigators experience anxiety during cases. They always think their subject is aware of surveillance, and it’s often a self-fulfilling prophecy. This paranoia disappears over time with enough experience. At times this job can be fun. It can be interesting and it can be rewarding … but it’s never easy.

www.jprinvestigations.com

#private investigation #private investigator #surveiilance #melbourne #private detective #information #infidelity #melbournepi

Image of a Private Investigator

I’ve long been fascinated with how people perceive private investigators in a recently poll the results were pretty dismal. Of more than 900 people polled, 20 percent think that private investigators never abide by the law. While “resourceful” was the term chosen as the best term to describe a private investigator, “shady” came in second. “Law abiding” and “honest” were next to last…right after “unprincipled.”

The Reaction

One investigator commented that “everybody breaks the law” and he “revels in the common misconceptions,” and “capitalize(s) on them.” The majority of investigators, however, felt that we needed to do something to give the business a sense of professionalism. They discussed how the industry should have more oversight, better education, and stricter requirements to become a private investigator—as part of the effort to increase the collective perception. In my opinion, it’s one thing to have some general misconceptions about our business, but it’s an entirely different thing if the misconception is that we routinely break the law, do things underhandedly, or work in an ethical grey area. While we can all agree that clients don’t need to know every last detail about the mechanics of how we do things or acquire information, it’s important that clients know that we gather information legitimately and ethically and that we operate by a strict professional code. A bad perception hurts us all. If you think that it doesn’t, you’re kidding yourself. It’s not just in Australia either. A few days ago, an investigator in United States told me via Linkedin that she avoids using the term private investigator when meeting with clients.

No Fault But Our Own

Movies and TV have certainly not done us any favors. Of course, it’s easy to blame Hollywood for how people view our profession, but I think the biggest problem is the investigators themselves. Maybe I’m missing something, but the only time I see private investigators in the news is when they are caught out dealing with the undesirables in our community. So how do we go about improving the perception?

Continuing Education Requirements

A Private Investigator is required to complete a continuing education course every year and renew there license every 3 years. Revolutions in technology and computing have turned the investigative business upside down. You no longer need to be a policeman to have access to secret recording devices, spyware, or vehicle tracking devices. These days, you can find more information about a person in ten minutes behind a computer than in days or weeks of investigation using standard methods of as little as 15 years ago. It’s vital to keep up with the newest investigative techniques and technologies, as well as a host of ever-changing regulations. There are more legalities to understand than ever before, from Privacy Laws to changes in GPS tracking laws, “pretexting” and other privacy issues. Knowing and abiding by these often complex rules is essential to maintaining a high level of professionalism.

Professional Standards

Ask ten investigators about the legality of pretexting, or if you can legally do a bank account search on any person. I bet you’ll get quite a range of answers. There’s a vast grey area between right and wrong, legal and illegal, ethical and unethical. The problem is that many people don’t know where that grey area begins and where it ends. Here’s a potential remedy: The investigations field needs a comprehensive list of professional and ethical standards as well as legal and ethical guidelines (regarding things such as GPS tracking, pretexting and privacy issues regarding surveillance). Other industries outline and adhere to such professional standards, and while some folks may choose not to follow them, they serve to draw a line in the sand and to color some of those grey areas in starker blacks and whites. And that makes the choice to step over the line all the more precipitous. This could go a long way in creating consistency across the entire industry—consistency which the field so desperately lacks right now. Set down our principles in bold print, and it’ll be all the harder to accuse us of not having any.

Regulatory Oversight

My private investigator’s license requires little more than sending in some money and checking a few boxes. Finding some common ground with licensing standards, minimum qualifications, and renewal would go a long way toward creating a more professional standard of conduct.

Educating Clients

I spend more time than I would like to admit trying to educate clients about what we can legally, ethically and realistically accomplish. Why? Because most people have a completely warped sense of what an investigator does. A few months ago, a potential client was incensed that I wasn’t able to check his future wife’s phone records. “Aren’t you a private investigator?” he asked me. (Last time I checked, I was.) An educated client is a more valuable client. If clients know the legal and ethical boundaries, understand what you can realistically accomplish, and are willing to pay a premium for the knowledge and information that you can provide, you won’t need to pretend that you’ve got magic beans, pixie dust, and a stable of unicorns. As an industry, we love keeping our secrets tight to the chest and our magic potions to ourselves, but we need to do a better job of educating clients about the work we do, the boundaries that exist, and the legal and ethical implications.

Why Should We Change?

Am I overreacting? Maybe. But I don’t see any other choice but to do something about it. The alternative may be to do nothing. But to me, that has some dire consequences. How many more newsworthy incidents of investigative wrong doings (News of the World) can our industry survive? It only takes a few high-profile miscreants to mess it up for us all. I think we all have a duty to raise the standards of our business. To act with the highest possible degree of ethical conduct and to give our industry a greater sense of professionalism, we must rise above the clichés and perceptions. Who knows … we may all be better off for doing so.

www.jprinvestigations.com

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