Archive for the ‘PIs In the News’ Category

Computer Forensic professionals are quickly finding out that several states are now requiring them to be licensed as private investigators.

A recent article in Baseline Magazine details how legislators in South Carolina have introduced pending legislation where “digital forensic evidence gathered for use in a court in this state must be collected by a person with a PI license or through a PI licensed agency.”

The Texas Private Security Board recently made a ruling regarding the licensing regulations which effect computer security consultants and computer forensic examiners. They felt that it is important that these computer related practitioners, as well as the entities hiring their services, are familiar with the licensing regulations, as violations carry steep financial and legal penalties.

There is no doubt that these regulations will cause computer forensic experts to create strategic business alliances with private investigators to insure that evidence they collect is not thrown out of court over licensing issues.

What do you think about this? Should computer forensic experts be required to have a PI license? Do private investigators have the necessary training and expertise to conduct computer forensic examinations?

It appears that a case involving the hiring of an out of town private investigator on a death penalty case may have an impact on how the state pays court appointed investigators.

It all started when a Hillsboro lawyer hired Dave Panter, an ex-cop from Tillamook and an investigator from a nearby county to defend a murder case. However, the state Office of Public Defense Services refused to cover the investigator’s travel expenses from his office to Hillsboro.

The state offered to pay for Panter’s hotel and meals in Hillsboro, but it refused to pay him the standard state rate of $34 an hour for a capital case, plus 40.5 cents a mile for gas, to make the 60-mile drive between Tillamook and Hillsboro.

Since the state has refused, and a Washington County Circuit Court judge is set to decide the issue in a hearing Thursday, May 10.

“These guys haven’t had any raises since the 1970s,” says Barbara Baughman, a Portland private investigator who charges $75 an hour.

What do you think about the fees and expenses associated with court appointed investigator cases?

Governor Purdue has appointed Patricia Barrow Mincey, 45, to the Georgia Board of Private Detective and Security Agencies.

Patricia is a Savannah, Private Detective/ Security Agency Member – owner and lead investigator of Executive Strategies and a contract investigator with US Investigations.

She served as a corporate fraud manager for Food Lion Stores, a division of Delhaize Corporation, and a loss prevention manager for Kmart Corporation. She is a member of the National Council of Investigation and Security Services, the International Graphoanalysis Society, the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners and the Georgia Association of Professional Private Investigators Board of Directors.

Patricia Mincey attended the University of Georgia, Georgia Southern University, and Armstrong Atlantic State University. She and her husband, Ron, have one grown daughter.

The Missouri News is reporting the latest news on a bill introduced by Sen. Harry Kennedy, (D) of St. Louis. Missouri is only one of 6 remaining states that does not regulate private investigators. This bill would also include continuing educational requirements for all licensees.

The proposed bill includes a grandfather clause that would allow current private investigators to become certified if they have been in good standing as a business for two years. They would also have to provide proof of liability and workers’ compensation insurance.

The Senate Financial Committee on Monday heard Kennedy’s bill, which would also create a statewide board to license and regulate private investigators throughout the state.

Even though a representative of the Missouri Association of Private Investigators testified in favor of the bill, there was at least one PI who testified against it.

Do you feel private investigators should be licensed? What are the pros and cons of licensing as you see it? This is a very important topic as many of the remaining unlicensed states are fighting for licensing.

What do you think?

Its not everyday that the New York Times features a very nice positive article on a couple of New York City private investigators.

There are renting laws in New York City that affect half of the approximate two million rental apartments. Those tenants who are fortunate enough to live in these rent controlled apartments are required to live in their apartment at for least six months per year. They also can’t sublet it without the owner’s permission or charge more than the regulated rent. The landlord can take back the apartment if the primary tenant violates these rules, moves out, or dies unless a family member has already been living in the apartment for at least two years.

Bill Golodner and his partner, Bruce Frankel, both former New York City police detectives, say their firm has handled close to 500 of these real estate type cases in the past year.

News 14 Carolina recently aired a story about Karin Goin who uses regular dogs that she trains rigorously to find missing pets.

“(The dogs) are at least 85 percent of the investigation,” she said. “We are on the dumb end of the leash. We basically follow behind.”
Karin Goin

You can see the newsclip by clicking here.