COVER
STORY:
ACCESSING THE ARCHIVES
How to Use Newspaper and Other Archives
in an Investigation
By Jane Cracraft, Associate Editor, PI Magazine
Archives like newspapers, magazines, press releases, news wires, trade journals
and broadcast transcripts hold valuable
information which enable or enhance the investigation of many different types
of cases.
Excerpt: Up to 20 years of archives of newspapers, magazines, press releases,
news wires, trade journals and broadcast transcripts from programs like 60 Minutes
and 20/20 are available online to the diligent investigator who learns how to
mine these valuable resources. Usually there are fees for the retrieval of this
material, commonly about $3 per published item. However, searching is free. The
charge applies to obtaining the full text of articles that match the person,
company or subject being researched. Archives enable or enhance the investigation
of many different cases. For example....
ATURES:
ON COMMON GROUND
Forensic Psychologists and Professional Investigators
By Linda M. Grounds, Ph.D.
This article discusses the various roles forensic mental health experts fill,
the kinds of questions they address and how they do their work. Also discussed
is how valuable investigators can be to the work of the expert, and some of the
potential problems that can arise in the process of a forensic mental health
examination.
Excerpt: In these days of Court TV, gavel-to-gavel trial coverage
and experts as quasi-celebrities, both the legal community and the public have
greater exposure than ever to the roles that mental health experts play in
the judicial process. Not surprisingly, these venues create a picture of mental
health experts and how we work that varies in accuracy and quality. In this
article, I describe the various roles filled by forensic mental health experts,
the kinds of questions we address and how we do our work. I also discuss how
valuable investigators can be to the work of the expert, and some of the potential
problems that can arise in the process of a forensic mental health examination...
VANISHED
Using Reverse Geographical Profiling as an Investigative Tool for Locating Missing
Persons
By Dr. Maurice Godwin
Geographic profiling is a tool used increasingly by many police departments
to focus upon a serial offender’s most likely area of residence, work,
social venues, and travel routes. It has been successfully used by Dr. Godwin
and others to narrow the area of search for a victim.
Excerpt: When a case is finally solved, and the killer has been named and charged,
there is usually partial closure for the victim’s family. While the trial
has not yet occurred, the system is bringing the (alleged) killer to justice.
But what happens when you don’t have a body to provide that ultimate
closure? The most profound pain imaginable is that of a parent who has lost
a daughter or son but has no body to complete the mourning...
ELUSIVE TARGETS
Investigating Elder Fraud
By Clay Renick
Experts in elder fraud and abuse investigation share their experience and knowledge
on the subjects. Learn who is taking advantage of the elderly and the steps to
take when investigating these scams and abuses.
Excerpt: The call came without notice. An older woman lifted the receiver to
hear excitement on the other end.
“You won first place!”
“In what?”
“Sweepstakes!”
“But I didn’t enter.”
“Doesn’t matter. Your name’s on the winning ticket.”
“For how much?”
“From $100,000 to $19.3 million.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Not at all.”
“This is a joke.”
“We can give it to someone else if you like.”
“No,” the woman paused. “Who are you? Where do I go? How can
I collect that prize?”
The elderly woman began to breathe deep. She didn’t remember a contest.
But it didn’t matter. That much money could go a long way....
THE NEGATIVE REPORT
By Jane Cracraft, Associate Editor, PI Magazine
What to do when you come up empty on a case and how to turn the negative
report into a positive one.
Excerpt: All successful investigators have been trained
to think positively:
I will locate the witness...
I will get the interview…
I will find the assets…
Lawyers who employ legal investigators expect success. And, of course,
success leads to repeat business, to referrals, and to a thriving agency.
There’s nothing as stressful as lowering the bucket into a well
and coming up empty...
THE ORIGINAL RECORDING
By Mitch Davis
A look at why it is important to keep your original audio
and video recordings.
Excerpt: With digital technology replacing analog
audio and video systems, it is important to maintain the original
audio or video recording in its entirety.
Quite often as investigators we conduct interviews and video surveillance
for a variety of reasons...
COMPUTER SECURITY
Achieving a Balance
By Drew Robb
Twenty simple steps to help investigators maintain a correct level
or security and minimize risk of sensitive material falling into the
wrong hands or getting damaged.
Excerpt: Life is full
of compromises. Buying a Hummer gives you excellent crash protection,
but the gas mileage is horrible. Buying a house gives you a tax write-off,
but you now spend your Saturday’s
mowing the lawn and doing repairs rather than going to the beach. Then,
there is getting married, and I won’t say anything more on that
subject.
Computer security is no different. If you insist on total security,
you need a setup like a high security area at the Pentagon, where users
need to be given clearance to access the system...
NOT ALL CRIMINAL RECORD CHECKS ARE CREATED EQUAL
By Lynn Peterson
A review of the four kinds of criminal records, their uses and how
to access them.
Excerpt: During the past year a new type
of pre-employment background check called the National Criminal File
(NCF) became available. There are 38 to 50 states included, and the
number of records in these three NCF databases ranges from 60 million
to as many as 133 million. While those numbers sound impressive, any
company that utilizes the National Criminal File as their primary means
of checking for criminal records should read the fine print...
KNOWING WHEN TO SAY NO
By Robert A. Dudash, CFE, CII
Why private investigators need to practice due diligence in order to
maintain the integrity of the profession and the trust of clients.
Excerpt: For the past several months, we have been inundated with news from
a multitude of sources (television, radio, email newsgroups, newspapers)
regarding the disclosure that identity thieves have been able to register
for services from information providers and were subsequently granted
access to the brokers’ databases. The permitting of these unqualified
and questionable individuals to have access to billions of records
containing extremely sensitive information is certainly not the fault
of the professional investigator, although we seem to be feeling the
resulting knee-jerk reaction from this unauthorized access and the
resulting consequences...
NO WAITING FOR MAGIC
Merlin Fights Back After Data Breach
By Michael Koryta
The security upgrades that one of the leading information brokers is
taking after a data breach in April.
Excerpt: One of the investigative world’s leading
information brokers suffered a security breach in April that led to the
disclosure of information on almost 9,000 individuals across all 50 states.
The company has moved fast to strengthen security and work with law enforcement
to investigate the crime. Merlin CEO Keith Brown feels the incident has
actually made Merlin a better data provider...
HIRING A FORENSIC ACCOUNTANT
What Every Private Investigator Ought to Know
By Stanley I. Foodman
What the professional investigator needs to know about forensic accountants,
when to hire one, what to skills to look for.
Excerpt: Because of the accelerating expansion of litigation
in every imaginable area of our society, private investigators are employing
in ever increasing numbers certified public accountants (CPAs) as experts
who specialize in forensic accounting.
Universities all over the world are offering courses in forensic accounting.
In the United States, law enforcement and regulatory agencies are recruiting
CPA accountants...
BEST OF THE BEST
Books for Professional Investigators
By Melanie Paek
The top books, written by investigators for investigators, that every
PI should have.
Excerpt: In the age of the Internet, information is
traveling so fast, it’s hard to catch up with new information with
our busy schedules. It’s not that the information isn’t there
and available 24-7. It’s just the sheer time involved to weed through
the reams of questionable data to get to vital, clear and trusted information.
That’s why I recently turned my attention back to books written
by and for investigators. The information is already there - neatly
packaged and ready to be used (what I had been searching for on the Internet
all along). Wanting to update my own list of favorites, I recently ran
some posts on the Internet, asking other investigators what their “best
of the best” investigative books are...
EXECUTIVE PROTECTION
Training for PIs: Use it or Lose it
By Nathan T. Harrison
PI skills such as surveillance tactics, civil and criminal liability
and risk management can be transferred to the growing market of executive
protection.
Excerpt: Executive protection (EP) is a growing market.
Currently, not many private investigators engage in providing executive
protection services. The training and experience that many PIs have do
not necessarily qualify them to provide personal protection services.
However, many PI skills do transfer directly to the EP task, such as
surveillance tactics, knowledge of civil and criminal liability and risk
analysis...
GADGETS, GIMMICKS & TRICKS OF THE TRADE
By Julius “Buddy” Bombet, Associate Editor, PI Magazine
New technology, equipment and advice that every PI should know.
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