by admin_lauth | Jun 23, 2014 | Private Investigations News
Photo Courtesy of Angela N., Flickr
For several decades, animal rights organizations have provided a voice to the animals that couldn’t speak up for themselves. The fight against animal cruelty is ongoing, and despite new regulations, many animals are still kept in abusive conditions worldwide. One of the best ways to catch the offenders and put an end to the cruelty is by gathering video evidence of inhumane situations. Many of these animal rights organizations have begun hiring private investigators to do surveillance on locations that have been rumored to be abusive.
A Voice for those Who Have None
In 2009, TIME ran an article about a private eye who went undercover at a hog farm. The investigator, who went by the name “Pete”, gave up his dream of becoming a cop and left behind his family and friends to pursue a career as an animal rights investigator. His account of the farm and the ensuing court case were featured in an HBO documentary called Death on a Factory Farm. Thanks to his video evidence, Pete has been able to uncover horrible conditions at farms and factories of all kinds throughout the country. According to him, the worst was chicken farms, where barely living hens were tossed into the trash after having their necks broken.
Farms aren’t the only places being targeted by investigators and organizations alike. The Ringling Bros. Circus and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) have been in an ongoing battle over claims of animal abuse. PETA has launched its own investigation into the circus, documenting video footage of circus staff beating elephants and gathering witness accounts from past circus employees. Aquariums and zoos have also been in the news after documentaries like Blackfish brought abuse at SeaWorld to the public’s eye. Zoos, kennels, and even private homes are also hot spots that may require an investigation.
Doing it the Right Way
Often, the people who look into these claims and infiltrate businesses aren’t investigators at all. And when someone who’s inexperienced in the field of investigation goes undercover, there’s the potential for serious consequences. Consider the story of Taylor Radig, an animal right’s activist who went undercover at a cattle company in Denver, Colorado. Radig was a contractor for Compassion Over Killing, an organization dedicated to uncovering and preventing animal cruelty. Her investigation was centered around gathering video evidence at the cattle farm. During her time there, Radig witnessed workers pushing and shoving day old calves, a clear sign of animal abuse. Once she presented authorities with her proof, those workers were charged with cruelty to animals. However, Radig soon found herself charged with the Class 1 misdemeanor as well, because she had neglected to report the abuse as soon as she had seen it.
Taylor Radig isn’t the only person to be charged with the very abuse she was trying to prevent, and she certainly won’t be the last. Some states have laws that require cruelty to be reported immediately, and those who view it and fail to tell authorities in time are just as guilty as the offenders. That’s why it’s important to hire someone who is experienced in the field. Even Pete, the private eye who investigated the hog farm, was unlicensed at the time of the article. He and others like him run the risk of criminal charges and lawsuits if they get caught, and the evidence might not hold up in court as well if it was obtained illegally.
For these reasons, several animal rights groups have decided that simply having an organization member go undercover isn’t enough. These groups are dealing with big companies, and investigations require careful planning that are performed according to the law. Hiring a licensed, experienced investigator who is familiar with the law can ensure that this video evidence is collected in a safe matter. After all, a court battle involving an amateur investigator takes away time and attention from the true victims here: the animals.
by admin_lauth | Jan 4, 2013 | Private Investigations News, Tips & Facts
Life can suddenly change and you may find yourself facing a divorce, child custody dispute, cheating spouse, civil or criminal litigation. When life takes a sudden turn, it helps to kick a plan into action as soon as possible. The need for a private investigator arises, when we face the need to collect information that will be pertinent to the outcome of a case or verify information provided. Information must be collected professionally, efficiently, and within the boundaries of state and federal law and requires hiring a licensed private investigator, also commonly referred to as a private detective, private eye or PI. When hiring a private investigator it pays to know whom you are hiring.
Most every state in the U.S. requires an individual to complete a background check and obtain a license to be a private investigator but, in the few states where licensing is not required by the state, anyone can become a private investigator. Working with an inexperienced investigator can create significant liability to a client. Considering this, it is very important for a person to do their homework when hiring an investigator so you get the quality services they are paying for.
Private investigators offer an array of specialized services from background investigations, surveillance, computer forensics, and process of legal service, missing person and homicide investigations, criminal defense investigations and many more, while others specialize in a specific service. Regardless of the type of investigation, it is vital that an investigator be knowledgeable and compliant with state and federal laws that pertain to privacy, legal statutes in relation to medical and financial information, proper surveillance techniques, court procedure, and even victim’s rights.
A multitude of fee-based and free networks or associations are available on the Internet providing names of private investigators and private investigation agencies from state to state. These networks provide assistance in locating a private investigator specific to the service needed or in close proximity to the client, however these networks are not a regulatory agency, and many have no background information on the private investigator. While network services are beneficial and do simplify the search for a private investigator, sometimes network services can pose a problem when a client assumes they are hiring a reputable private investigator. Many networks do not provide investigative services themselves and simply serve as an advertising service not liable for the actions or quality of services provided by those listed. Many networks are simply a marketing tool that only require the private investigator or firm to pay a monthly fee to be listed, and do not verify the private investigator’s “good-standing” with any state regulatory agency.
Due Diligence when hiring a local private investigator:
- Request a copy of licensing information and any associations the private investigator is a member.
- Request a specific list of services the investigator or agency provides.
- Contact your Better Business Bureau and state regulatory agency and inquire if there are any complaints on file.
- Ask if they subcontract work out to independent investigators.
- Request professional references from the investigator; references can include former clients, associates, and even law enforcement personnel.
- Ask to review investigative contracts and retainer agreements. Remember, a written contract protects both the client and the private investigator and identifies the terms of the agreement while minimizing misunderstandings and liability.
Hiring a local private investigator enables the client to have a “one on one” consultation in order to discuss the case, discuss work to be performed, review documents, and verify references. Another major benefit of hiring a local private investigator is the investigators knowledge of the area and critical to conducting an effective investigation.
Having connections is an absolute benefit to any investigation. Knowing the neighborhood, local companies, business owners, residents, and “those in the know” cannot be overstated. Obtaining information from a “trusted source” and gathering information in a discreet manner is more dependable if the investigator is familiar with the demographic and geographic makeup of the area. In addition, it is an assurance a client will receive more personalized service.
Thomas Lauth is a 20-year veteran investigator and owner of Lauth Investigations International headquartered in Indianapolis, IN with additional offices in Colorado and Arizona. Lauth has and his team of investigators has provided investigative services that include skip traces, background checks, private and corporate investigations, criminal defense investigations for the state of Indianapolis, child abuse, sex trafficking, and even high profile missing person investigations.
According to Lauth, the benefits of hiring a “homegrown” private investigation firm are immeasurable. “Most investigations and preparation for litigation creates an emotional environment for those involved,” says Lauth. “As licensed private investigators, it important to be dedicated and it is our duty to represent our clients with the utmost integrity and moral conduct so as not to add to emotional injury.”
Author – Kym L. Pasqualini
Founder, National Center for Missing Adults
Lauth Investigations International, Inc.
201 N. Illinois St., 16th Fl.-South Tower
Indianapolis, IN 46204
Please contact Indianapolis Private Investigator, Thomas Lauth, for any investigations needed at 800.889.3463 or visit www.lauthinveststg.wpengine.com
by admin_lauth | Mar 29, 2010 | Private Investigations News
At the World Investigators Conference in Dallas, Rhonda Hines inspects a device that can detect hidden cameras. Some 600 private detectives from around the world attended.
DALLAS — Let’s say you’re a private investigator, and your client wants to get the goods on that philandering spouse.
You could do it the old-fashioned way, trailing him (or her) all over town.
Or, for $695, you could buy a GPS Personal Asset Tracker and hide it under the bumper of the subject’s car. Then you could sit back in your office, turn on the computer and, via a secure Web site, get the location of every place Cheatin’ Heart goes.
“It works in real time so if they’re in a bar or at someone’s house, you can show up,” said Cody Woods, a private investigator and manager of the Spy Exchange & Security Center in Austin, Texas.
Technology is one of many factors changing the P.I. business, and nowhere was that more evident than at the recent World Investigators Conference in Dallas. Some 600 gumshoes from as far away as Thailand were on hand to learn about the latest gizmos and services for “getting the competitive edge” in a down economy, as one speaker put it.
Woods’ booth, for example, featured a cornucopia of surveillance gear, including $10 sunglasses that enable the wearer to see behind him. Or for $195, P.I.s can surreptitiously photograph a subject with tiny cameras hidden in everything from belt buckles and baseball caps to pens, watches, flashlights and key chains.
“People know cameras are in cell phones and might be a little wary,” Woods said, “but who’s going to think about a camera in a key chain? You can take a key chain anywhere.”
The three-day conference was partly sponsored by TLO, the Boca Raton company whose corporate slogan is “lightning in a bottle.” TLO founder Hank Asher developed Accurint, a database used by investigators to find people, and a highlight of the conference was to be Asher’s unveiling of a supposedly superior new product called Accurint Killer.
But there was no demonstration.
“The lightning isn’t quite in the bottle,” said Asher, who was accompanied to Dallas by most of his management team, including former Florida Attorney General Bob Butterworth.
Nonetheless, the crowd had plenty to take in.
Since Eugene Francois Vidocq became the world’s first private detective in the 1800s, tracking fraudsters around France, the P.I. business has grown ever-more specialized. At a book stall, conference participants could browse scores of titles ranging from Practical Homicide Investigations to Kidnap for Ransom to Financial Investigation and Forensic Accounting (Second edition).
“One reason P.I.s come here is to find other things to do,” said James Jessel of Signal Auditing.
His New York-based company is hired by DirecTV, a satellite service, to find bars and restaurants that show non-network National Football League games without paying for them. Signal Auditing in turn hires local private eyes to ferret out scofflaws.
“If we have somebody in Gainesville, they can access the legal list (of DirecTV) customers and know what restaurant is paying the legal rates,” Jessel said.
Darren McCulley’s specialty is more traditional. He does “fugitive recovery,” but the job has become easier thanks to Google and Web sites like Facebook and MySpace where even crooks post personal information.
“You could spend six months in a car or you could jump online and do a little profiling with social network sites,” said McCulley, a Dallas P.I. who recently found a notorious parole violator. “I think human nature is to want people to know what they’re doing.”
For P.I.s who need help navigating such sites, a Hernando County company, Tracers of Spring Hill, was touting its latest product: “Social Network Profile Search.”
The new service, which costs $2 (“no hit, no fee”) identifies the actual owner or user of a specific e-mail address and also finds Web postings, pictures, personal details, family, friends and more.
“I call it the George Orwell Search — a little 1984,” said Sarah Dyer of Tracers. “It implies Big Brother is watching you, but actually this is information that’s out there.”
The economy has taken its toll on private investigators, with thousands nationwide said to have dropped out of the business in the past few years. While the number of repossession agents in Florida is up, the number of P.I.s. has remained flat at about 7,900.
“The fact this hasn’t grown in a state where we’re used to occupations growing says something,” notes Terence McElroy, a spokesman for Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Affairs, which regulates private investigators.
Private eyes have long been popular in literature (Sherlock Holmes), movies (Sam Spade) and on television (Peter Gunn, the Rockford Files). Judging from the conference crowd, it remains a field dominated by men, many of them military veterans or former law enforcement officers.
But P.I.s of both genders have a disdain for one staple of the trade — spending long hours parked across from a No-Tel Motel, hoping to catch an unfaithful spouse.
“Surveillance is so ugly. I just hate it; I always did,” said Dana Miller, a Denton, Texas, investigator for 20 years. “It’s always raining or snowing or you’ve got to pee. That’s the hardest part for women.”…
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