Adventures in the world of investigations

I have documented the cases of the many adventures I have had since my career as a Skip Tracer / PI began in 1990 and will share them with you in the hopes that they will help you or someone you know.  Some of my cases have to do with large companies where employees were suspect in theft or drug related while on the job and others were domestic cases where a loved one suspected infidelity of their partner but my favorite cases were those of reunions or cases that involved skip tracing.  Of course, it goes without saying that names and identifying factors will not be revealed due to implied confidentiality for my clients.  Before I start telling my stories I promised you I would answer some questions that are posed to me on a regular basis either through email or in person.  I am answering questions that I feel will benefit others and/or have been asked of me multiple times assuming there is a point of interest in the topic.

How did you become a PI?  Did you go to school for it?  What would you recommend someone do if they want to become a PI?

This seems to be the most popular among the questions I have been asked throughout my career and am happy to share my story.  During my career I had more calls from Police Officers who wanted to work off the force on a private level as a Detective than I had from those graduating from college concentrating in the field of investigations.  When it all began for me I too was a college student when I got a job at #Famous Barr Department Store working in the collections department as a skip tracer and collector having had successfully climbed the ladder in a matter of five years to the point where I reached a dead end in the department I was working in.  Between that and the fact that I had a new manager whom I once worked side by side with and had no respect for I decided to consider a position offered me as a manager of a local PI firm that I had previously passed up and recommended a friend for who was hired and fired in a matter of months.  I was making good money and had full benefits at a large company, Macy's at the time, and had considered leaving all of that for a small company that would ultimately change the course of my career.  After much deliberating and negotiating I accepted the position to manage five people and run the firm having had no previous management experience.  Putting my college degree on hold I was working two shifts five days a week including my day shift at the office managing and my night shift doing the field work and gaining experience as a real #Private Investigator.  I was exhausted from lack of sleep and exercise but it was par for the course I was heading in.  I will never forget a story my boss told me when I began my job as a manager at his firm that left me thinking about my future as a PI.

My boss was hired by a man to investigate a license plate on a car that was parked in his driveway every night when he was at work.  He suspected his wife was cheating on him and wanted to know who with if that were the case.  My boss revealed the information to his client who then went to the guys house, whom his wife was allegedly cheating with, and shot and killed him.  My boss had to testify during the murder trial and was released from having any responsibility for the action of his client.  Needless to say it taught him a lesson not to give out information on just anybody to anybody.  From the very beginning of my career I learned to be responsible with the the information I have access to. 

The general public does not often understand what we, Private Investigators, do therefore a great deal of speculation exists.  When you choose to be a Private Investigator you have to accept the responsibility to uphold your obligations of truth, justice and integrity.  And, these days most states require you be licensed requiring testing, continuing education, and insurance and full knowledge of the laws.  It's expensive to be a PI in the states that require you be licensed so unless you plan to actively participate in your career choice as a PI it is not worth the trouble.  There are schools all over the country that can teach you how to be a PI but that really is not enough.  Imagination, luck and determination is as important when skip tracing than the traditional techniques they teach you in the classroom.  You must have perseverance and be resourceful to succeed.  You must be able to protect and never divulge the identity of your informants.  And, remember there is not a hole deep enough on this planet in which a person can hide from a PI who has the necessary tools. 

If you are interested in becoming a PI or skip tracer there are many books that can teach you how to do it but ultimately building professional relationships with your peers in the profession will help you in your success.  Read a book and exercise what you learn and then decide if you have what it takes. A good way to test your skills is to pick a car out of a parking lot, observe the driver and the vehicle.  Carefully follow the car to their destination.  If you follow someone from a grocery store they are most likely to go home to put their groceries away.  Jot down their address and see what information you can come up with.  A good place to start is on the Internet using public websites.  See how far you can get by learning about the person driving the car.  From there you should be able to determine if you have what it takes to be a successful investigator whether it be a PI or a skip tracer.  Once you become licensed in your state you will have access to information that the general public does not.  There are many jobs out there that can use your skill as an investigator especially insurance companies.  I will write more about this topic later but in the meantime you can send any questions you may have to diaryofapi@gmail.com.  Your questions will be answered as promptly as possible. 

That's it for now.  Hope you enjoy this read and please share it with your friends.  If you enjoy my blog please like my facebook page at www.facebook.com/diaryofapi.  Thanks for your support!

Update

Hey readers.  I am still here and been extremely busy as the summer months tend to wear me down with the craziness of work and kids.  I love it and wouldn't trade it for the world!  I will be posting about my summer and the exciting and interesting things I have and still are experiencing so stay tuned.  Also, I have been asked by several people within the last several months for an update on the Greg Berin matter.  My last posting on this matter was on January 10, 2014 at which time I reported a sighting since his release from prison in November 2013.  Please know that my blog is not about this individual and is used as an educational tool.  I post about informative matters having to do with ways to protect ourselves in today's society and stories I have worked on for educational purposes in the hopes it will help another individual.  I formerly had a radio show called Crimetime Live where I took callers questions on the air and gave advice about matters of the heart when it came to dangerous relationships.  Until I go back on the air I take questions here on my blog and most questions are posed confidentially and anonymously.  I do not know who reads my blog and I do not know the true identities of those asking the questions and I do not answer questions that can cause harm to people although I will respond privately to questions sent to me privately.  My email address is diaryofapi@gmail.com.    If you do not mind me posting your question and answer on this blog please indicate so.  There is always someone else walking in your shoes and it is always comforting to know that you are not alone.  My posting about my experience with a once five time convicted felon is my story to share and my choice to share my experience, although not a pleasant one, is helping others' know the signs of their involvement with a Sociopath as well as ways to help get themselves out of their situation.  Also, law enforcement has expressed an interest in the investigation that ultimately caught the criminal in my story.  I hope to continue to help society in this regard and in no way want to cause harm to anybody.  The investigation part of my story is part of the Criminal Files and I will continue with this story in the near future. The rest of the story is in the manuscript waiting to be published.   So, here are a few questions that I will answer in this posting and will address a few more in the next. 

1.  How did you, if you did, forgive your perpetrator?
   
     I do not think I forgave my perpetrator and not that I didn't want to.  I could not find a way to forgive someone that does not have a conscience.  A person without a conscience does not believe they need to be forgiven as they are unable to express remorse, guilt, or regret for their actions.  However, long ago I forgave the act of my perpetrator.   This person had been living a life of crime long before he met me and I was simply at the right place at the wrong time.  If it wasn't me it would have been someone else.  Fortunately, I had the strength to get through the victim stages pretty smoothly within two years from the time it happened.  I gained knowledge throughout this ordeal and took my career in a slightly different direction a direction I was heading in anyway of helping people.  And, now, I am working on my degree in counseling. 

2.  Do you think GB was stalking you and got a job at the store you shop at on purpose? 

    Yes.  There are many of us that believe this.  In brief he was released from prison, was the subject of a newspaper article in which he spoke of the crimes committed against me, although my name was not mentioned half of St. Louis knew about the story and put two and two together; and in the article there was something said that was insulting that did not need to be said.  I took it as a verbal attack and thought that he still felt he was punished unjustifiably for the crimes he committed fifteen years before.  This is typical behavior of a Sociopath.  When he got a job at the store me and my family shop at and allegedly far away from his own home we all got suspicious and that is why we wrote the request to the company to have him relocated.  We felt threatened by his activities and needed to put a stop to it as safely as possible.  The police were informed as well.  There is a restraining order against him, not me, that means he cannot get within a certain distance from me and my family and is to have no contact with us or anyone affiliated with us.  He broke the order and could potentially have consequences as a result. 

More later.  Enjoy your 4th of July!