As of this posting Ebola is continuing to rear its contagious head. Reports of that sort usually deal with news bit and investigations as to how you can prevent forest fires getting sick yourself. Not that those stories lack significance, but we aren’t given the full picture.
Besides the nurses, doctors, and medical professionals who are on the front-lines so to speak, it is more likely that the so-called “disease detectives” are most responsible for stopping the spread of the virus.
Though some may have a background in science and virology, the methods for catching this invisible killer are decidedly through time-tested detective work.
So when Ebola tested positive for Dallas resident Thomas Duncan, investigative teams were dispatch to the scene.
As opposed to microscopes and running bacterial experiments, these particular detectives duties comes from interviewing potential infected individuals. Halting further spread involves working backwards through a process call contact tracing. This method beings with locating people within the Ebola patient’s (or this area patient zero) sphere of influence. From there they would be sorted into those who had most contact with the sick, especially after he/she began showing symptoms.
The headache of the contract tracing family tree. (Source: Huffington Post)
From there they will be monitored for a period of three weeks. This helps too quickly isolate the infected should symptoms arrive.
Though a seemingly antiquated (not to mention complicated) system, it has shown to be effective in combating the virus. Nigeria is one such example, with health officials going through methodical contract tracing measures after a Liberian man was visibly sick on a flight to Laos. Though the process wasn’t easy, (with as many as 900 contacts and 18,500 check-in visits) The results speak for themselves with no new cases in 30 days and the CDC declaring Ebola is officially contained in the populous African country.
Similarly private investigators have utilized such processes for various scenarios. From a missing person to background checks, private investigators need certain information in order to solve the case. Being detail-oriented, methodical, and the ability to obtain information from primary sources (interviewing those directly or indirectly related). It’s all in a days work for a detective of any sort, where ones method may not be as “cool” or gadget filled as the movies would make one believe, but evoking the theory of Occam’s Razor has helped solved cases and save lives.
We’ve all seen the shows.  From the numerous programs that use “pawn” with cheeky delight, to its original incarnation Antique Roadshow, Having that “priceless” item is easier dreamt then done. One way you could go about verifying your future fortunes is through a private investigator.
Utilizing PI services for such items can help locating long thought gone treasures.  Take this example, where a 1967 Jaguar E-type convertible, stolen almost 50 years ago, was finally recovered en transit to the Netherlands.  But recovering lost or stolen assets is only one option for vintage goods.
Often with these vintage commodities (such as cars), it can prove difficult to verify specifics which would indicate value (such as year, vin numbers, other markers) so hiring a professional in these scenarios would prove a worthy option.
Another example includes valuable works of art. Â These pieces have a very specific reach, both in the crime world and the art world. Â Stolen art is an upsetting trend, with as much as 6 billion in recent annual losses. Â To combat this, the government has even put together an art crime team, consisting of agents and specialists responsible for investigating cultural property theft (think a 21st century version of The Monuments Men).
Based on the story of the recovery of the largest art theft in history (Source: Wiki Commons)
More often though, it is the private detectives being sought after for art recovery, inquiries, and investigation. Â Because of the international recognition of some of these pieces, and the global aspects of black market art exchanges, PI’s will often collaborate with government organizations and various art communities. Â This provides additional challenges as one must deal with international laws and practices for several countries.
Fictional recreation of art specialists PI’s (Swords optional) (Source: Fanpop)
Besides lost art recovery, PI specialists have been used to verify if a piece is authentic or forged, even mediating the art buying process between two parties.
These methods can also be transferred to locating/verifying other antique goods, such as furniture, firearms, books etcetera. Â Basically, if a good has value or can be considered a “collector’s item”, chances are the underbelly of society will seek to steal it or copy it. Â Which means private investigators will continue to be assistance to those who seek authenticity, as well as a combatant for those thieves who don’t.
PI’s: Providing truth, justice, and the way of authenticating cultural artifacts.
Private Investigators have been hired for a variety of reasons. Â Most often, the public thinks this takes the form of solving “cases” such as infiltrating organizations, finding information on individuals, all while using Holmesian powers of deduction. In reality, investigators can and have been used for a variety of specified occasions.
Here are a few intriguing examples:
Secret Shopper – A secret shopper or mystery shopper is typically hired by businesses to investigate it’s employees and their treatment of customers. Â Investigators are hired for their professionalism, and impartiality. Â Customers giving their unbiased opinion can often only be achieved through methods such as these. Legally, some states require private investigator status in order to be a mystery shopper. Â Another bonus is a private investigator’s ability to legally gather evidence, providing data and reports of his/her findings upon the investigations conclusion.
Finding Birth Parents – Though modern day media has allowed people to find others themselves, sometimes you need to bring in the big magnifying glasses. Â Private Investigators have more means, resources, and know-how to find the people once thought lost. Â PI may use different methods in cases like these because instead of looking for people not wanting to be found, you are searching for someone whose information is dated or vanished. Â Besides finding long lost relatives, other peculiar cases have cropped up, from locating lost pets, to inspiring teachers.
Locating Items – This can take the form of birth, death, and legal records. Â Another common reason includes unclaimed assets, which can stem from safety deposit boxes or bank accounts.
Finding Facebook – Yes PI’s have been hired to locate a person’s social media profile. Â Usually this is done by employers seeking out information on potential hires.
Historical Findings – From finding historical news footage, to historical property holdings, private investigators often become a historian sleuth of sorts in order to find information or items from days of yore.
Obviously this is just the tip of the investigative iceberg, and a PI’s services can be as wide-spread and diverse as the people who desire such services.
The National Football League (NFL), has long sustained a period of growth and dominance. Â In the past 20 years, we’ve seen American football replace baseball as America’s national pastime. Â Even with flare-ups and controversies like questionable team names, spy-gates, lock-outs, and concussions, the “teflon league” continues to draw in record numbers. Â The NFL’s weekly game format, media-friendly structure, and fantasy playability has proven to be a perfect fit in today’s digital world. Â Alas, this most recent scandal may put a chink in the once pristine, family-friendly armor, and its ripple effects could be felt by the football organization for a long time.
The Ray Rice scandal, which included video footage of the Baltimore Ravens star in the aftermath of Ray beating his fiance (now wife) unconscious.  This action was initially given a two game ban by the league, as approved by NFL commissioner Rodger Goodell.  However, in today’s visual society the NFL found itself on the other-side of scrutiny when a second, more graphic video went viral.  As of this posting, the league and commissioner have been put under the microscope from the same outlets and social media platforms that have previously been a boon for the professional sports organization.
Some are calling for Goodell’s resignation, others want reform for the league, or at least question the unyielding power the heads of the NFL seem to have. The PR train is in full swing down at NFL HQ, with Goodell having recently hired an independent private investigator to ease tensions and exonerate himself. Former FBI director Robert Muller has been involved in investigations from 9/11 to the Boston marathon bombings, thus is well aware of stakes and sensitivity, while his track record provides credibility for public.
NFL- aka No Free Life-lines, even if your one of the most powerful sports organizations on the planet. (Source: NFL.com)
However savvy it may be to save face by hiring a private investigator now, by waiting till this unfortunate event became a media frenzy, they have only hurt their brand, image, and reputation. This will certainly cost them millions, and would have proven a much wiser move to seek out an investigator back in February, when the incident first occurred.
Imagine what a little due diligence could have done for the organization. Â By hiring a PI in the Spring, they would have saved themselves the scandal this second video caused.
Though private investigators wouldn’t have access to the second video, from finding information on public record, and working with the NFL, much could be derived. Â For instance, points of discussion with this case has rarely focused on the police dept. or hotel involved. Â Both could be complicit in the mishandling of evidence and charges against the accused. Â A private investigator could seek out the corruption both externally and internally, which could lead to a more proficient, less scandal plagued organization.
The NFL is unlike anythings else. Â A powerful, (technically) non-profit that has a monopoly on the market, and a demand for it’s product that’s showing no signs of slowing down. Â Without a checks and balances system, the NFL has become a government onto itself, so using a private investigator in times of crisis would help the NFL become a more stable, consistent presence for all athletes and sports fans alike.
Photo by Nicolas Halftermeyer (Own work), via Wikimedia Commons
Today’s private investigators seem to have it pretty easy compared to those of the past — cell phones, security cameras, and social media accounts are often used to obtain evidence for investigations. Gone are the days when private eyes had to flip through physical documents and phone directories, or find the location of someone with an actual map. And now, thanks to the advancements in drone technology, some investigators are opting to do away with physical surveillance.
A drone, or unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), is a remote controlled aircraft. Although they have been around for several years, flying personal UAVs is a relatively new hobby. These small crafts have been all over the media lately, even earning the endorsement of Martha Stewart. Like Stewart, many people use drones to take beautiful aerial photos. The market for drones is constantly expanding, and tech companies are keeping pace. Some drones can record a live feed, detect heat, or are small enough to fit in the palm of one’s hand. Others can fly four several hours at a time, scanning entire cities in a day.
Due to their discreet nature, private eyes have begun using drones to catch cheating spouses or dishonest employees. Instead of observing someone on foot for hours, investigators can use a drone to get a bird’s eye view of a suspect and collect video evidence. Using a drone is also safer for an investigator and are cheaper than chartering a plane or helicopter. A recent New York Post article featured a private investigator whose specialty is drones. According to the article, the investigator had to use a drone to record evidence of insurance fraud instead of physically surveying the suspect’s property for fear of being shot.
Because of their invasive capabilities, many are questioning the ethics of drone usage, including U.S. Senator Charles Schumer. Schumer recently called for federal regulations on drones, even going as far as proposing a ban on drone usage by private investigators. The idea of anyone being able to purchase a surveillance drone and using it to record whomever and wherever they want is fairly unnerving. The use of personal drones is uncharted territory, filled with flimsy guidelines and little regulation. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) prohibits the flying of UAVs for commercial use or payment. Drones are also not permitted to fly over heavily urban areas, and must alert control towers if they fly too close to an airport (FAA Website). Even so, investigators like the one featured in the Post article are still flying their drones.
Should we start expecting to see drones tailing us as we walk down the street? Probably not.
For now, most investigators are opting to stay on the ground and stick to their tried-and-true surveillance techniques. If evidence is gathered illegally, it may lose its value in court, and a private investigator could lose their credibility.
The recent surge of undocumented children entering the United States has brought up several issues, one of which is human trafficking. With so many minors coming in unaccompanied, many are worried that the children will become victims of this growing problem. Although slavery seems to be a thing of the past, the number of trafficked humans is much larger than it was centuries ago and continues to rapidly increase worldwide. Part of the problem is lack of awareness and the disbelief that slavery could occur, especially in the Western world. “No country is immune,” warns the United Nations, “whether as a source, a destination or a transit point for victims of human trafficking.”
Trafficking Worldwide
Although the exact number of victims is unknown, researchers estimate the amount of trafficked people to be between 12.3-25 million worldwide. Some are forced into unpaid labor, working in dangerous conditions for little to no pay. Others become victims of sexual exploitation, forced to become prostitutes and earn money for a pimp. Unsurprisingly, the biggest motive for trafficking humans is money. According to experts, the total market value of human trafficking is $32 billion, with nearly a third of that amount coming from the actual sale of victims (United Nations).
Trafficking in the United States
Despite the official abolishing of slavery in 1865, thousands of people are still trafficked within the United State’s borders. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, nearly 300,000 children become victims of sexual exploitation alone. Many of them are runaways or were abducted from their homes. One in three teens are lured into prostitution within 48 hours of leaving home (National Runaway Hotline). And once a child or teenager is trafficked, especially across country or state borders, it can become much more difficult to find them .
Even though the outlook seems grim, many non-profit organizations and government agencies have begun to battle this epidemic. Recently, the FBI rescued nearly 170 child victims of sex trafficking and arrested 281 pimps (CBS News). Many of these children were never even reported missing, and could very well still be on the streets if not for the FBI’s crackdown. The Bureau’s Innocence Lost program has identified and recovered almost 3,600 children who were victims of sexual exploitation since its start in 2003.
Hiring a Private Investigator
Despite the efforts of the FBI and other agencies, around 2,300 people still go missing in the United States each day (Crime Library). Because the amount of missing persons cases is so high, many families choose to look for outside help. A private investigator will work with the family and friends of a missing person and help generate leads for law enforcement. Private eyes have the time and resources to focus on a specific case, and those that have experience finding missing children know what signs to look for. “What is the PI going to do that the police won’t? He is going to keep on searching,” says Jerrie Dean of Missing Persons of America. “He is getting paid to find the person, not the reason they left.”
According to Dean, hiring a private investigator can help even if the person isn’t found right away. “He brings that information back to the family, the family tells the media, the media reports it and then the police are renewed and following a new lead to [the victim],” says Dean. Part of the problem with missing persons cases is publicity. Too often, the media only broadcasts photos of missing people that will gain the most viewers, and eventually the attention peters out. Keeping a case alive can be the driving force in finding a missing person.
,” says Jerrie Dean of