The Life of a Private Investigator!

The Secrets a Private Eye Might Hear.

Some say I am a "secret keeper" because of my job title and that may be true or not.  People tend to be leary of private investigators because they think we are always in spy mode. So how do I disarm an interviewee--how do I get them to tell me their secrets.

That is the part of my job that is easy, I listen.  All anyone really wants to do is have someone listen to them. Listening builds trust which in turn gets people to spill a secret or two. In my business a revealed secret can make or break a case.

Last year I boldly walked up to a known pedophile's door and knocked, I have to admit I was a little scared.  This little old man answered the door and of course he invited me in, I am not very intimidating. If have ever seen my photo you know what I mean. I kept thinking, I am sitting in a pedophiles house but am I safe. For just a second I thought he could hit me over the head, put me in the basement and that would be the end of my spy days. Ok, that is a little CSI or Cold Case sounding but it did cross my mind.

I sat down petted his dog, chatted with him about the weather and suddenly he started talking. He told me things that helped the case I was working on, in ways I had not even anticipated. He shared photos valuable photos with me, gave me the names of important people who would be helpful in building the case and remembers dates the solidified my clients story.  This man had been holding on to these secrets for so long they had eaten a hole in his heart, literally. So for him having a friendly face willing to listen to his story, even the ugly parts probably gave him some peace he had not had in years which in turn I hope will give some of his victims peace as well.  

I  took the information back to the attorney I am working with and that case is Rock Solid.

Some secrets are not safe with me.

Dawn, aka Inspector Watts

Is a Private Investigator an Asset to the Litigation Team?

As an investigator and a past litigation paralegal I think it is important for attorneys to consider if they are using all the resources they have to win a case(s). I recently spoke to a group of trial attorneys about the importance of hiring a private investigator. The most common question was can't my staff do the investigation in-house. Sure you can investigate your case yourself but that does not mean you should. Leave the investigation to the professional. Hire a licensed investigator with experience because they can be the most important asset to your case. Investigators can help from the first client intake appointment to the final day of Trial. The investigator is trained to get a comprehensive history of the client's life. Investigators can conduct interviews with the clients and witnesses in thier home at a time that is outside the usual 8 to 5 schedule. Interviews that take place at home during the evening or weekend create a more relaxed atmosphere which can lend to a much more productive interview. A good investigator knows how to read a witness, they are trained not only to listen to what is said but to also listen to what is not being said. A good investigator will pursue all possible leads because we know even the smallest detail can be valuable. Our skill set allows us to focus on the client, the case facts/details and the witnesses, while the attorney can focus on the legal aspect of the case. Hiring a private investigator is s cost that can be passed onto the client as a case preparation cost. Considering hiring a private investigator for your next case, it could be the best money you spend.

Client Relationships

Sometime it becomes important for me to go above and beyond my role as a private investigator. Client relationships are the key to success in my business which includes the attorneys I work for and the clients they have hired me to assist. Today I recieved a call from a very upset client, he felt like his attorney was not listening to him or communicating key information to him in a timely manner. I stopped and just listening to a confused and upset client, a client who felt victimized by the legal system. In this instance I go into fix-it mode or as others may call it, damage control but I call it advocacy.

Many times the client blames the attorney when things go wrong. I can be the person to advocate for both the attorney and the client. I can listen to the client, sympathize with the client and offer a reasonable explanation about why the legal system works the  way it does.  It may seem like this is a job that should be the attorney's because he is the legal scholar, but this is the time for a sympathetic voice to offer support, someone not connected in the same way a lawyer is. As the outsider I can often times help smooth things over with the client which can be a huge benefit to the attorney.

Sex abuse clients are a unique community of clients because they bring the trauma of abuse with them into the lawsuit. This makes them especially vulnerable to the legal system and the many disappointments.  Because this is my specialty I have been able to develop a relationship of trust with the clients I have worked with. These relationships allow me to help both the client and the attorney when issues come up.  This can be called damage control, fix-it mode or advocacy.

Private Investigator Database

All Things Legal Investigations specializes in sex abuse litigation and criminal defense work. I have worked in multiple states on sex abuse cases because it is a unique specialty. Their are other outstanding investigators around the country, if you have other types of cases outside of my specialty please check out the database create by Sting Investigations (he is the best at surveillance anywhere):

http://www.squidoo.com/WorldsBestPrivateInvestigators

Running on empty

Sometimes we find ourselves doing just that. I have been running on empty for several days. Taking inspiration anywhere I can get it.  I am sure I am fight a flu bug but I need to rally.  Some people ask me why I do not just stay home--I do not always have that luxery. I have a client counting on me and a trial date looming.  So even though I am running on empty I am still running.

The clients deserves the best I have to give even when I do not feel like I can. What makes me great at what I do is that when push comes to shove I am still going to keep at.

So when you are running on empty what keeps you going; money, the client, your own determion.

What is the definition of a good Leader - (posted by Dawn Krantz-Watts)

The qualities that constitute leadership seem to be linked with a person's own sense of self worth. For example, a leader is willing to assess a situation and trust in their own ability to act. While the decision may lead to positive results or not, the leader is willing to take a chance because of his or her own confidence in their judgment. Additionally, the leader develops trust in other people, and they trust him/her in return.

A private investigator is a leader, we have to have self confidence (we get rejected a lot), we have to be able to act fast (we might have to run like the wind to stay out of sight), and we need to earn your trust (I am a total stranger you just let in your house, I hope you trust me).  Seriously, in this profession we are required to think on our feet because we do not always know what is going to happen on an assignment. We earn our clients trust by producing great results. Whether it is in surveillance work or witness preparation being an investigator requires us to be the best at what we do. It takes initiative and determination. All these are signs of a good leader. 

Are you a leader or a follower?  I know  I am a leader.

Sometimes a case can lead to a dead end...

This has happened to me before; so what do I do.  I take a break to clear my head.  I had a case once where I needed to find an important witness in a false arrest case but I kept running into dead ends.  That all changed when I brainstormed with another investigator. Doing that helped me get another perspective once that happened I started making some calls and bingo I found a key witness.  In this case no one knew the witness existed but by looking for another witness I found the key to my case.

Dead ends do not have to be the end. I take a dead end as an opportunity to regroup and reroute the direction I may be going in a case.

Question - Is is important to be Licensed as an investigator?

This past year when I was debating my decision to transition from a Litigation Paralegal to a Private  Investigator I had many of questions. So in the spirit of my possible profession I investigated the prospect of changing professions. I asked others how they felt about the profession and what things I needed to know. Mind you I had been investigating case for 20+ years so I knew I wanted to make the change I just did not know how to start. I knew I had the experience and the expertise in my field to make the transition but I was not sure where to start. Talking to some other investigators I was told not to worry about a license, that did not seem right to me. So I grabbed the Oregon Revised Statutes because I knew if there is a rule thats where it would be. ORS 703.435(2) outlines the requirements for obtaining a private investigators license. Once I knew what specifically needed to be done my quest began. I needed to establish that I had spent 1500 hours in the field; no problem! I then needed to get bonded and insured which I did and finally I had to take a test. It all came together much easier than I imagined but I was still nervous.  Here I am today blogging away because I have that license. Since that time I have offered to mentor others interested in this field because misinformation can be dangerous.

So my answer is this yes we need to be licensed because individuals posing as investigators do not do themselves or our profession any favors by not licensing themselves according to the rules of each state they may reside. We all need to uphold ourselves with integrity and professionalism. Having a license establishes confidence it is our job to earn the rest.  Get your License.