| A PI is trained to be very savvy with | | | | some diverse and available search sites. |
| their research methods. Despite film | | | | From Social Networking sites like |
| noir movie depictions of a PI as a man | | | | MySpace to city records posted online, |
| sporting a fedora and a 5 o' clock | | | | there is little running around as a |
| shadow in smoky office with a bucksome | | | | gumshoe anymore when the info is at the |
| blonde wanting their husband spied on, | | | | tip of the fingers. |
| they are in actuality men and women who | | | | Searching Locally: An Orange County |
| spend a good deal of their time doing | | | | Example |
| the legwork from a computer. | | | | There is quite a good deal of revealing |
| The Bureau of Security and Investigative | | | | information that is posted on local |
| Services give five points to what a PI | | | | state or federal government sites. For |
| does: | | | | instance, an Orange County private |
| - Someone who investigates crimes | | | | investigator can visit the county's |
| - Investigates identity, whether it is a | | | | California Criminal index online to view |
| finding the person, finding the true | | | | any citations or criminal court |
| character of the person, their | | | | proceedings that have been logged and |
| occupation or business | | | | documented as far back as 1988. This |
| - Investigates the location of property, | | | | gives great material for background |
| lost or stolen | | | | checks or finding patterns in habits or |
| - Finds the causes of fires, losses, | | | | criminal recidivism. Sites like these |
| accidents, damage or injury | | | | are often available to anyone online for |
| - Secures evidence for use in court | | | | free. |
| Investigators work in various sectors so | | | | They are not specific to government |
| the work can be very specific according | | | | workers or licensed private |
| to who they do work for. For instance, | | | | investigators in Orange County by |
| detectives who work for insurance | | | | example. There are layers of search |
| agencies will often look into personal | | | | levels the investigator can peruse |
| claims and the legitimacy therein. If | | | | through: federal, state to county |
| someone is trying to defraud the agency | | | | records; a private investigator in |
| then the detective may do some | | | | Newport Beach (within Orange County) can |
| surveillance on foot with a camera, or | | | | find information specific to that city |
| do a background check to see if there | | | | within a city records search. |
| was any past record of fraud. | | | | Also, with the advent of web 2.0 and |
| There is a great deal of office work | | | | social networking sites and blogs, the |
| that goes into investigation. Aside from | | | | false sense of privacy is often |
| making frequent phone calls, an | | | | exhibited by the public at large who |
| investigator uses a great deal of | | | | daily leave a cyber trail wake that |
| internet searching, especially for | | | | makes investigations less intensive. |
| background searches. Investigators use | | | | |