Microchips and Shoe Leather: Gumshoeing in the Modern Era 

Ever wonder about the lives of Private Investigators in the modern era? My guest today is a former Police Officer, Insurance Fraud Investigator, and has run a successful Private Investigations business for 20 years. Many of his cases made the headlines of the Philadelphia Inquirer and the New Haven Register. He has written numerous articles for PI Magazine and other publications and has created the DVD: The Ultimate Guide to Taking Statements. If you read or write private investigator stories, join his community and download MUGSHOTS for free.

Welcome to Murder Blog, John!  

Thank you for allowing me to guest blog, Sue.

In 1841, Edgar Allan Poe penned the first detective novel, Murders in the Rue Morgue. Later, readers were outraged when Sir A. Conan Doyle killed off Sherlock Holmes. He was forced to bring Dr. Watson’s roomie back to life. Phillip Marlowe and Sam Spade introduced the hard-boiled detective to the silver screen. Magnum, PI and The Rockford Files humanized the PI on TV. In an hour, minus commercials, they had a car chase, knocked a guy out with one punch and kissed the damsel in distress, all while solving the case before the credits rolled. The tough-guy shamus, the brooding silhouette lurking in the shadows, the whiskey and unfiltered cigarettes have fed the public’s imagination for over 150 years.   

At parties or social gatherings, people ask me what I do, and I tell them that I‘m a Private Investigator. Which invariably causes a reaction. Some people are intrigued, others ask half-jokingly, “Are you following me?”  

“No”, I reply. “Not today, but that 2012 tax return you filed is a little funky, don’t you think?” Then I smile.  Sometimes, I can’t help myself by playing into stereotypes.  

In reality, today’s Private Investigator works with a laptop, uses databases and social media sites to locate people. They employ drones and pinhole cameras secreted in soda cans to catch the “totally disabled” worker  shingling a new roof on their buddy’s house. Palm-sized video cameras and an internet connection beam real-time images to your attorney’s office; the lens captures of what your significant other is really doing while out in the public domain.  All those trips to the gym didn’t really happen, because the GPS Tracker unit on your client’s car told the story of where their beloved’s love nest is.  

How did the accident happen at intersection?

A quick scan of Google maps and Google Earth gives the intrepid PI the layout of businesses to visit for their closed-circuit security camera feeds. A thumb-drive captures the video of the accident. Played in court, a jury can clearly see which driver is at fault.  

What do you do if you knock on a witness’ door and they only speak Albanian? 

No problem. Google Translate will do some of the heavy lifting for you. Dictation software makes report-writing much easier. Text messaging has replaced answering machines. Entire international interviews have been accomplished on WhatsApp. Street maps and street directories have been replaced by the cordial British accent emanating from your car’s GPS.  

Invoice templates and accounting software, such as FreshBooks or Quickbooks, make it possible for the solo operator to handle all the bookkeeping, tax and accounting needs for the business.    

To dispel some of the negative stereotypes, Private Investigators are licensed in most states. Unlike their portrayal in many John Grisham novels, PIs play an important — and honest — role in today’s society. Most don’t dabble in unscrupulous behavior. We are required to carry over $1,000,000 in liability insurance and must be bonded. The State Police in Connecticut, where I ply my trade, strictly enforce the laws governing PI activity. The application process is very thorough with notarized letters for neighbors and business associates that must accompany a valid driver’s license, credit history, and lengthy application.   

Private Investigators must complete five years of real investigative work (not pointing a radar gun at speeders) or four years and a college degree. Generally, we belong to PI associations both locally and nationally. On our own time and our own dime, we attend conferences to network and sharpen our skills. We also get to kick the tires on some of the latest technology at the vendor booths, as well as bring “toys” home for immediate use. The solo PI is still the backbone of the business, just as there are large organizations such as in the old days when Pinkerton or the Burns Agency ruled the roost. Some PIs work as generalists in the hard–to–reach places. Others specialize in every imaginable niche where people and money are involved.   

I run 90% of my solo business from a five-year-old iPad2, but I still like jacketing a file. Call me old fashioned. There’s nothing like printing off real paper to put into a manila folder for when I go to a scene or to talk with a witness.   

I work for attorneys that represent regular people who were seriously hurt in horrible accidents or those who’ve been charged with a serious crime they swear they didn’t commit. It’s very much the David verse Goliath scenario, with the attorney on one side and government and large corporations, like insurance companies, on the other. I like to think that the facts and evidence that I find are the smooth stones for the attorney’s slingshot.  

Police reports in a homicide case can run hundreds of pages long that include autopsy photos, crime scene sketches and photos, witness statements, and multiple reports from the uniform officers and detectives. The Arrest Affidavit or Warrant spells out the alleged crimes. Having all that paper at my fingertips is old school, but it is easier to hand someone a few pieces of paper on a doorstep than to turn your smartphone or tablet around and swipe screens.   

Many times, I’m standing on those dark doorsteps in bad neighborhoods at night, because it’s the only time some people are home. It’s also harder for someone to kick you off their doorstep than it is to hang up on you.  Sometimes, the only way I catch some people at home is on weekends or holidays. We call these “cold calls”. During a cold call it’s imperative that you establish rapport, properly frame the issue, and help the person realize it’s in their best interest to talk with you, even if it isn’t. Former police officers who go into the PI business may wind up getting a rude awakening when their Aviator Ray-bans reflect back on the subject slamming the door in their face. With no badge or legal authority, they need to learn how to play nice.   

There are times when you pound the pavement, searching for a witness that has the direct knowledge you need.   

I’ll give you an example. Two months ago, on a bone-chilling February morning, I started walking around businesses near an intersection where my attorney’s client was T-boned. I was looking for video feeds or witnesses. Both the client and the other driver claimed they had a green light. The officer on scene said he couldn’t determine fault due to the conflicting statements. The accident happened the previous Tuesday at noon. A pro knows to visit the scene on the same day of the week, same time of day, in order to catch people in their regular routines. A bank’s drive-up teller video caught the other vehicle speeding up the road but was out of view of the traffic light.   

An hour and forty-five minutes later, I stamped my cold feet into a car repair shop. That’s when I learned of a mechanic who had taken a car for a test ride at the exact time of the accident. I took his written statement which detailed how my attorney’s client had the green light. It also proved the other driver raced toward the intersection, trying to beat the red light. That car repair shop did not have any video cameras at all, but I went in looking for witnesses and maybe to warm up a bit.  

Another attorney had a hell of a time serving someone with a deposition subpoena. Numerous process servers failed as neither the man, nor his wife, would answer the door. Halloween was fast approaching when I caught the case. On that special night, I was dressed from head to toe in a baseball uniform. When the couple came to the door for trick-or-treaters I followed them into the house with a “treat” of my own. At first, the husband was downright pissed off. Turns out, he’s a baseball fan and was writing a book about a legendary local little league team. When I asked about the book, he calmed down. To this day, we are friends.   

The world of the PI continues to evolve with technology. New opportunities arise to those who choose to change with the times. Yet, nothing beats good old-fashion shoe leather and people skills when enquiring minds need to know the truth. The combination of technology and street work is what makes this job exciting. Each and every day I meet people from all walks of life. I get to flex my mental muscles and discover the most interesting tidbits. Best of all, I get paid well for my time and expertise.  

Better than Jake in Chinatown, eh?   

John hosts the My Favorite Detective Stories podcast every Monday. A short form interview with investigators past and present about how they got started, what makes for a good investigation and of course, they tell their favorite stories. Sign up at www.johnhoda.com. Its FREE. 

John A. Hoda graduated in 1975 with a B.S. in Criminology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He is a frequent guest blogger and webinar presenter on Investigative Interviewing. John has sat on the boards of the both the National Association of Legal Investigators and the CT Assoc. of Licensed Private Investigators. 

He is a Certified Legal Investigator and a Certified Fraud Examiner. 

He answered the writing muse in 2013 with his debut novel: Phantasy Baseball, which can be found in e-book on most platforms and in soft cover on Amazon. It is a story of an average Joe that through luck and circumstance gets a one-in-a-million chance to play in the Major Leagues. 

Through the years, he told his stories about his latest cases over coffee, at parties, or at dinner engagements. Told repeatedly to write them down, he finally did with Mugshots: My Favorite Detective Stories which can be found in e-book and on most platforms and in print through CreateSpace and IngramSpark. 

A free copy is yours for downloading at www.johnhoda.com. 

Odessa on the Delaware is slated for a fall 2018 release, introducing FBI Agent Marsha O’Shea. Sign up for announcements at his website.  John has been a lifetime athlete, playing club soccer and semi-professional football, running marathons and bicycling long distance. His creative activities also include writing, producing and acting in amateur theater.