PI’s Declassified!

The death of a police officer is a tragedy. But when an officer takes his or her own life, it is doubly heartbreaking. Are you aware that the number of officers killed in the line of duty is very similar to those officers who commit suicide? This is a seldom discussed topic of conversation. What are the warning signs? What resources are available? Dr. Dorothy McCoy, a psychotherapist and police consultant is no stranger to this challenging topic as she has been researching officer suicide and its causes for years. Tune in to hear Dr. McCoy provide her thoughts and the results of her research.

Today, cameras and listening devices can be hidden anywhere! Do you know who is watching you? Do you know who is listening to your most private conversations? There is an increasing number of hidden cameras found in public restrooms, hotel rooms, lockers, and even bedrooms. Spied upon victims can be spouses, partners, children or students in locker rooms or showers. Voyeurs are in our midst and spying is, for some, a way of life. Private Investigator Jimmie Mesis is here to help. Tune in to hear Jimmie provide some simple tips on detecting these insidious hidden snooping tools.

Depending on the jurisdiction, laws regulating private investigators are divergent and often contradictory from one venue to another. There is little consistency. It is even more complex to conduct business in the global environment we all find ourselves. Private Investigator Philip Becnel is trying to make sense of it all. As the author of Introduction to Conducting Private Investigations incorporated with a summary of licensing laws across the United States, Phil is branching out to Europe for his newest book. Phil is striving to understand and compare the licensing laws of the European Union along with how Europe regulates, collects and sells information. Tune in to hear Phil Becnel discuss his experiences while conducting his research and report on what he has found.

The Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner or SANE, plays a significant role when a report of a sexual assault has been made. The sexual assault nurse examiner conducts forensic examinations on reported victims and suspects of sexual assault events and has special skills to assess patients, identify injury, and collect evidence. A SANE nurse must be objective and a good listener. The forensic nurse will memorialize the examination both through documentation and photography, all which will be incorporated as part of the criminal discovery file.

Forensic Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Cari Caruso is just the person to ask about the examination process and serves as an expert examiner and an objective consultant for both prosecution and defense. Tune in to listen to Cari discuss the kinds of evidence she looks for during an exam and hear her experiences while performing these important protocols.

Workplace violence is complex and multidimensional. The threat may come from either inside or outside its walls. It could be in an office, a school or a warehouse. Approaches crafted to address violence prevention therefore require an active and creative multidisciplinary approach. An expert on threat assessment and author of several books on workplace investigations is Private Investigator Eugene Ferraro. Eugene holds certifications in Human Resources, Fraud Examination, and Professional Protection. He will discuss this pervasive danger and provide strategies for managers, administrators and business owners to deliver a safe and secure workplace.

There is no question that the subject of guns is a hot topic in this country. Private Investigators and private security professionals, many of whom are former law enforcement, are frequently in positions of risk while conducting investigations and protecting property. Consequently, as a group, private investigators and security professionals support the right to carry. UCLA University Professor Adam Winkler is the author of Gunfight: The Battle over the Right to Bear Arms in America. Cited and quoted by the US Supreme Court, Professor Winkler provides a thoughtful analysis of America’s heritage of the right to bear arms in conjunction with the laws enacted to promote gun safety. Join the conversation with Professor Winkler while he examines the Constitution, firearms and gun control in our current environment.

When conducting interviews and writing reports, private investigators must be forever cognizant of biases that may impact the objectivity of the investigation. This biased predisposition may be held by the investigator, the witness or both. Competent investigators must be aware that the commentary received from an individual reporting on what the person says they know or might have seen, comes from a unique perception…and possibly one with an agenda. Regardless of the type of case, it is critically important for an investigator’s reporting to be free of opinion, innuendo or conclusion. Retired private investigator and former newspaper reporter and editor, Grace Elating Castle will examine this process along with tips to keep investigators objectivity finely tuned.

Leona Helmsley made the news as famous white collar criminal. No longer so unique, the pink collar fraudster is on the rise. She even may be one of your most trusted and long term co-workers or employees. She is the Pink Collar Criminal, the growing number lower to mid-level office workers, the bookkeepers, office managers, accountants, and clerks--who steal from their employers.

It can be a small business, the PTA, town government, charter school, church, volunteer organization or even the local kid’s athletic club. The number of friendly, “regular” women who shatter their employer’s trust and steal their money has increased. Thefts typically range from a few thousand to millions with incalculable legal, ethical and emotional fallout. Private investigator and Certified Fraud Examiner Kelly Paxton is an experienced fraud investigator. Listen while Kelly shares her experiences about this surprising trend.

In March, Johnny Williams of Oakland, CA became one of 29 individuals exonerated in the US in 2013. Through the joint efforts of the No CA Innocence Project (NCIP) and the CA DNA Project, a federally funded unit at NCIP, Johnny was exonerated from 2 counts of forcible lewd conduct & one count of attempted rape of a 9-year-old girl. The girl said “Johnny” did it. Johnny, who was a neighbor & friend of the family, became the suspect. He was subsequently convicted and served 14 years in prison. A forensic examination of the girl’s shirt prior to trial indicated no biological evidence; yet years later testing from both an independent lab & the police department lab yielded a male DNA profile conclusively excluding Johnny. Full disclosure: The host of this show was the defense investigator working for Johnny’s attorney in the pre-trial investigation. Tune in to hear Johnny & his attorney, Melissa O’Connell, tell the story of this very unusual DNA exoneration.

17+ years in prison! Gloria Killian was convicted in 1986 of first degree felony murder, robbery, and conspiracy and received a sentence of 32 years to life for the murder of a Sacramento, CA couple. At the time, she was a third year law student with no criminal history. In 2002, Gloria walked out of prison a free woman after the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned her conviction when it determined the conviction was based solely on perjured testimony. Six years later, the prosecuting Deputy District Attorney was tried by the State Bar of California and found guilty of unethical conduct in her case. Gloria describes her checkered journey along with Amy Kennedy, a lawyer and case manager from the Northern California Innocence Project.