The Essential Guide to Hiring a Private Detective for Effective Private Investigations

Cinema across the 20th Century and into the 21st has painted an ever-evolving image of what private investigation entails. But whether it’s a bumbling lawyer and his staff or the sleek noir detective creeping through the shadows following the criminals and waiting for them to make a mistake, one thing they all have in common: gadgets!

The world has become increasingly technical and complicated, and so too have the tools of the professional investigator. In the modern age, with crime taking place in digital arenas or across vast distances via networks and communications infrastructure, private investigators have had to keep up through the use of increasingly complex technical solutions. In this discussion, we’re going to cover what could be considered the standards of the modern professional investigator’s tool and how they help them succeed in the field. 

A good professional investigator will have a foundation of soft skills that will be crucial for their success in the field. The ability to research well and to communicate with clients as well as interview witnesses or potential suspects is vital. Problem-solving quickly and being able to remain observant in challenging conditions go a long way to helping in day to day investigative activities. 

A great investigator will have all of those skills, as well as the ability to quickly pivot and respond to quickly evolving situations. More importantly, though, they have access to the tools to get the job at hand done in a world that is highly dependent upon technology.

Some investigations require us to track a person’s movements and keep track of the places they go. In order to do this without investing significant time and manpower, our investigators can utilize GPS trackers that can be attached to a vehicle’s interior or exterior. There are legal restrictions that limit the situations where these can be used, but in the right circumstances, they remove a lot of guesswork from the investigative process.

The assumption for going on a surveillance gig that needs a digital camera with a case full of extra lenses to get the long shot. This isn’t exactly the most subtle approach, sitting in a vehicle on a busy street or in a window across from where your subject might be. Today, our investigators use top of the line micro cameras that allow them to take high-quality video and pictures closer to the subject without attracting attention.  

Tracking communications is a tricky business. Devices transmit data through the use of WiFi, cell signals, satellites, Bluetooth, and our investigators at times need to have the right equipment on hand to tap into those signals. This is where radio frequency (RF) detectors become useful added tools to monitoring devices and surveillance cameras to extend their usefulness. We can also use these devices in debugging cell phones and locating listening devices if a client thinks that they themselves are the target of surveillance.  

Equipping a drone with video and camera capabilities turns the device into a mobile surveillance platform that can help to track subjects and monitor them in hard to reach areas. The cameras can be set to transmit real-time back to recording devices to create the necessary evidence for the investigation. 

While it’s not always a legal avenue of evidence collection, spyware can be installed on computers to track online behavior and files. This can sometimes fill in key evidence in an investigation that might otherwise remain out of reach of investigators. Like GPS trackers, it’s not always a legal method of surveillance, but when it is, it can be a game-changer for investigators. As we’re highly adept in its use, we also understand how to locate and remove such software technology from computers of those whose systems have been infected.

Our professional investigators need every advantage when it comes to carrying out jobs for our clients. As a full-service investigative service operating across North and South Carolina, Barefoot PI ensures that our team has access to the best tools of the trade. These technologies and others that we have in our arsenal allow us to carry out domestic investigative services and other services we offer to our clients.

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