![]() By Susanna Speier Denver Private Investigator Blogger Some of the highest skilled investigators in the industry will converge with some of the best technical minds June 21 - 22nd at the 2018 National Association of Legal Investigators (NALI) conference in West Chester, Ohio. See also: Digital forensics for Denver attorneys and private investigators Senior Digital Forensic Engineer, Pete Myers will be walking participants through video forensics/Image processing, vehicle system forensics, household appliance extraction and a social media extraction that includes what you can do if a cellphone has been destroyed or lost. Food and beverages are rolled into the conference fee which means after Kane County Public Defender, Kelli M. Childress' “Seeing is Believing. Or is it? Understanding and Mitigating False Confidence in Witnesses" presentation you'll get to enjoy food and beverages at no additional cost. Toonari CEO, Karhrman Ziegenbein will also give a dark web demo highlighting how criminal defense investigators can conduct safe and effective online research using anonymity tools. Why the tech savvy surplus? Technology is the focus of NALI's 2018 conference and you have until 5/21 to secure the early bird registration for non-members at $299. The membership rate is $245. Besides the lower conference fee what are the advantages of membership? According to Executive Director, Val Vail-Shirey the daily job opportunities posted on an internal list server is a huge draw for members looking to grow their clientele by collaborating with other members. As an example, Vail-Shirey's says "a member in Phoenix may post for a member in Boston to assist with a court record search." Yes, there are public job postings on Indeed.com and Linkedin however these specific job opportunities are only shared with with NALI's 340 person network and are vetted for relevance and therefore more likely to have a better outcome. Another benefit the organization offers is their relatively new Certified Legal Investigators (CLI) accreditation and license management program. Ohio may seem far but think of it this way: Coloradans flying out of DIA will reach Cincinnati in less than three hours and the Cincinnati Marriott North in West Chester (where the conference rate for a Single/Double is only $119) is just half an hour from the airport. Here's yet another way to think of it: if you're based in Lakewood, Broomfield, Englewood, Fort Collins or somewhere on the Eastern Plains then traveling as the bird flies will get you to the convergence of the best minds in the private investigator industry in about the time it would take you to drive from Denver to Trinidad or Grand Junction and driving to Mesa Verde would take longer than flying to Ohio would take. Because that's how the west rolls. By Susanna Speier Denver Private Investigator Blogger Jessica Jones (which --in case you're not already looped-- just dropped season 2) may run a solo practice The Defenders she need to collaborate in order to save Hell's Kitchen. But what about a place like Colorado with a smaller and more regionally spread out population? Castle Rock investigator, Andrea Orozco's upcoming Professional Private Investigators Association of Colorado (PPIAC) training workshop on Wednesday, April 4th at CB & Pott's 6575 Greenwood Plaza Blvd in Greenwood Village, CO will focus on subcontracting for other investigators. It's a great opportunity to learn more about how and when to collaborate with investigators who specialize in areas of expertise that may compliment yours. A recent article Pursuit Mag article by legal investigator and former Durango police detective, Sam Petitto also discusses the solo versus collaboration dynamic. Many of the questions on Rachele' Davis list of questions to ask before hiring a private investigator are relevant to questions you might ask a prospective sub contractor or collaborator. Collaborations don't have to be limited to current cases. Earlier this month a New York Post article detailed a Suffolk County cold case and the circumstances behind a grisly crime was finally resolved thanks to DNA forensics. To check out the team of associates our own Denver based firm, Ross Investigators, subcontracts with, check out our about page or call (720) 458-1497 for a free consultation. By Susanna Speier Denver Private Investigator Blogger If you've been following Denver's Amazon bid, you already know Denver one of a twenty of mid-sized cities being considered for Amazon's new headquarters (HQ2). If selected, the online commerce giant would bring 50,000 new high paying jobs to the city of Denver along with some notoriety. In October, Amazon Studios chief Roy Price resigned over sexual harassment allegations. In 2015 The New York Times called Amazon a "bruising workplace" where "workers are encouraged to tear apart one another’s ideas in meetings, toil long and late (emails arrive past midnight, followed by text messages asking why they were not answered) and held to standards that the company boasts are “unreasonably high.”" Recent race discrimination, gender identification discrimination and pregnancy discrimination charges indicate the juggernaut's local presence would mean ample opportunities for Colorado employment lawyers, should the mile high city make the final cut. With or without Amazon's HQ2, Colorado's robust tech industry will continue to expand and abuses of power will continue to create new opportunities for private investigators who are employment litigation literate. Given the landscape, next week's Professional Private Investigators Association of Colorado (PPIAC) training seminar, How PI's can Assist Employment Attorneys, looks like a worthwhile way to spend a Wednesday evening in early February. Disclosure: I am a PIAC service member and gave a training seminar last fall. David Miller, Esq will give the free training seminar on Wednesday, February 7th, 6:30 pm - 8:30 at CB & Pott's, located at 6575 Greenwood Plaza Blvd in Greenwood Village, CO 80111 Networking begins at 6:00. Additional Amazon references:
By Susanna Speier
Denver Private Investigator Blogger What goes into being a 21st century Watson? Find out October 4, 2017 at a free training seminar. The seminar will be hosted by the Professional Private Investigators Association of Colorado (PPIAC) at the Denver Press Club (DPC) in Downtown Denver. I am not a private investigator. I am a freelance journalist and social media strategist who blogs for one. I am also the only member of the almost twenty person team comprising Ross Investigators who is not licensed to practice in the State of Colorado. My job as blogger and social media engagement strategist does not require a license from the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies even though it's in Colorado because the service I provide --writing and publishing-- is protected by the 1st amendment. The Denver Private Investigator Blog is a trade publication serving a readership consisting of private detectives, security professionals, surveillance operatives, lawyers and legal private investigators who practice in the State of Colorado and nationwide. My readers are mostly private investigators. That said, the private investigator field encompasses a wide range of professionals and expertise. My readers run asset searches, public records searches, witness interviews and help with criminal defense. They fly drones, do accident investigation, responsible party identification and provide custody case assistance. Some do security and other do surveillance. A lot of them have police, legal and military backgrounds. The conversation I always end up having when someone asks what kind of freelance writing assignments I take on is usually a difficult one because explaining how a 2017 private investigator firm functions and why they need a writer isn't necessarily sufficient for people still struggling to grasp why I work for a PI firm if I am not a private investigator. Enter, the Sherlock and Watson metaphor. "I am Watson---not Sherlock," I explain. "As a modern day Watson ---sans firearms training and military background-- I blog and do social media engagement for a private investigator firm." That usually clears things up.
On Wednesday, October 4th at 6:30 p.m. fellow PPIAC members, DAC members and members of the legal, private investigator and journalism community are invited to attend my free blogging and social media for private investigators training seminar at The Denver Press Club.
Although the training runs 6:30 to 7:30 attendees are encouraged to arrive at 5:30 to try the "Gumshoe" cocktail that the club bartender, Zack is shaking up for the occasion and network in the Press Club's historic landmark building in Downtown Denver. The Denver Press Club is located in at 1330 Glenarm Place, Denver, Colorado 80204. It is the oldest press club in the country. Street parking is available and there are three public lots within a block of 13th and Glenarm. This will be the first PPIAC event hosted at the Press Club. You can RSVP here. By Susanna Speier Denver Private Investigator Blogger This summer, the Denver Private Investigator's Blog made the PI Now list of top private investigator blogs!! It ranked 4th place after Brian Willingham's Diligentia blog (which ranked #1), Pursuit Magazine (which ranked #2 and with whom the Denver Private Investigator Blog has a content partnership) and Guns, Gams & Gumshoes (which ranked 3rd). We are honored to have The Denver Private Investigator Blog: Mile Hi PI featured among so many other informative and well renowned online publications. PI Now's rating system was based on the premise that the private investigation blogs most worth your time contain the following criteria: they are readable and interesting. The website is accessible and easy to navigate and the content is relevant and regularly updated. ![]() Meanwhile, as summer winds down and we all dust off our nonexistent fedoras and shake out our trench coats, plans for the Rocky Mountain region private investigator conference are currently underway. The Professional Private Investigators Association of Colorado (PPIAC) conference starts tomorrow, Thursday, September 14th and runs through Saturday, September 16th at Denver Marriott in Westminster and you can still get tickets. The conference will include an optional class 8:00 - 5:00 pm class with certified forensic interviewer, Brandon Perron which begins on the 14th. There will be also be a fraud investigation workshop with Richard Brooks a Russia investigation workshop with Anastasiya Bolton and an ethics workshop with JP Moore. Andy Kindred, Joe H. Dickerson, Brandon Perron, Jeff Boxer, Kitty Hailey. If you are a Colorado attorney, please note that the Colorado Supreme Court has just authorized 12 general credits and three ethics credits for attendance. Go here to register. By Susanna Speier Denver Private Investigator Blogger Do detectives frequent luxury liners outside of Agatha Christie mystery novels? Not usually. That’s about to change, however, thanks to California and Arizona licensed Private Investigator, owner of Allen Investigations, LLC and now P.I. Cruises creator, Debra Allen. Although the retired law enforcement officer’s new initiative isn’t launching without pushback –--a few naysayers have actually expressed concern regarding the potential impact on the field’s credibility--- that isn’t stopping private investigators from working Labor Day, Columbus Day and Veterans Day cruises to The Bahamas, Alaska and Mexico into their schedules. The concept of training vacations is “new to PIs but not new to mortgage lenders, Bankers and Realtors.” Allen points out that it's a great way to mix and mingle more with classmates and instructors and that people will also absorb more information when they're relaxed and in vacation mode. Hop on board and you'll have the opportunity to earn up to 12 continuing education credits and get up to twelve hours of training. Ship fees (including room and food) are only $85 a night and there will be additional charges for course fees. Land a spot on one of the three maiden cruises of 2017 and those course fees will be waived! Because training takes place over a four or five day period --a break from the traditional and more condensed hotel weekend retreats Allen finds tiring--- the protracted schedule will encourage class discussion to spill out onto the poolside sun deck and later into the piano lounge. If you find yourself missing Colorado's verticals there's even a climbing wall. Tropical attire is encouraged and one of the nights includes a formal dinner. Accident investigator, ACTAR (Accreditation Commission for Traffic Accident Reconstruction), certified re constructionist and Monument, Colorado based private investigator, Michael Miranda (who is also giving workshops in Denver and Ft Collins in June and July) will be an instructor on the Mexico trip. So if you want to learn more about accident investigation, according to Allen, “you’ve got four days to see him and buy him a cocktail.”
By Susanna Speier
Denver Private Investigator Blogger A man who suspects his wife of cheating hired a drone to monitor his wife's route as she headed out of the house, one morning The video, which since then has gone viral shows husband's voiceover narration of the her route from home to the car of her paramour behind the CVS. One of the reasons for its popularity is perhaps the real time anguish conveyed by the husband. It has gotten over eight million views so far. And who says the cheater in the video has to be human for it to go viral? This National Geographic video of a penguin who discovers his wife has been cheating and wages battle with the home wrecker went viral, too. Not recommended for super sensitive viewers.
Finally, if reality's too much for you and you're prefer a staged, 360 video of the scenario, we recommend BuzzFeed Yellow's "when you're caught cheating" video.
And if you suspect that you are being cheated on we recommend our fidelity investigation branch.
![]() By Susanna Speier Denver Private Investigator Blogger Ken Bone, the undecided voter who became an overnight internet sensation during the second Presidential debate when he asked the candidates a thoughtful energy policy question, is more than just a mustache and a nonpartisan red sweater. Beneath the self proclaimed "cuddly internet political faceman" lies an insurance fraudster according to CNN Money, The Daily Beast, New York Magazine, Mercury News and The New York Times. Bone, whose Twitter following grew from 20 to 244K and got booked on the Jimmy Kimmel show is now losing fans as his Reddit alias, StanGibson18 revealed some of the creepy corridors of his personality. One of his Reddit Ask Me Anything (AMA) conversation posts even revealed self confessed felony insurance fraud. Bone committed fraud by forging documents to make it appear as though his car insurance was active at a time when his policy had been frozen due to non-payment. He did such a good job with MS Paint, an old card and a scanner that the "fake cards and documentation fooled 3 bosses and a cop" Bone said. Find the insurance fraud angle compelling? It's unlikely there will be an insurance fraud investigation since no one lost money on it. Bone's foray into forgery was not a ambitious one. Bone didn't fake an injury or stage an accident. Bone instead forged the documents to secure a pizza delivery gig because car insurance was a job requirement. Bone plans to donate a portion of the proceeds of his t-shirt sale --yes, despite reluctance to decide which presidential candidate to support, he managed to design and market over 5K limited edition Shepard Fairey portrait style "Bone" t-shirts in less that a week-- to the St. Patrick Center, to fight homelessness in St. Louis. He doesn't specify what portion of those proceeds will be donated but if, after all this, you're still a fan and want to give him the benefit of the doubt, the iconic undecided voter's t-shirt are available in sizes ranging from XS to 3XL. Cost is $19.99 And if you, like Ken Bone, are undecided, we still urge you to register. You can register to vote by clicking here. By Susanna Speier Denver Private Investigator Blogger The 2016 Professional Private Investigators Association of Colorado (PPIAC) Rocky Mountain Private Investigator’s Conference, which takes place September 22-24th at the Renaissance Hotel in Denver, Colorado will provide training and networking opportunities for professional private investigators throughout the Rocky Mountain region. This year’s focus topics ---which include surveillance, counter surveillance, surveillance detection, skip tracing, report writing, data mining, computer forensics, witness interviews and trial preparation--- will be taught on the basic and advance level over the course of two days (Friday and Saturday) and culminate in an awards banquet on Friday night. Whether you’re new to the private investigator industry, the PPIAC conference, and/or both, we scoured the internet for guides on how to get the most out of a conference and these are our five favorites: Pre-introduce yourself This is the first suggestion made by the Harvard Business Review and according to Harvard Business School professor, Francesca Gino, creating a priority wish list of people you’d like to meet then sending them an email introducing yourself –ideally through a mutual friend or colleague—will be welcome. Especially if the person is presenting. If the person is not presenting, you can ask to sit together during a presentation or grab coffee after. Snap photos of contacts with lanyard “Put a face to the name of the people you meet by taking pictures that include their faces and name tags,” suggests Legalproductivity.com While it may seem easy to put names with faces a week or even a month after a conference, if you’re attending an annual conference like PPIAC where a lot of people return year after year, and you have trouble putting names with faces, this is a great strategy. Don’t make non-work plans for the evenings US News’ advice may not the advice you want to follow while you’re smack in the middle of downtown Denver but that Red Rocks concert you go you is costing you valuable networking time, not to mention energy that you could be available for a last minute dinner or outing. Follow up after the event Isn’t this a little obvious? Entrepreneur’s advice is nevertheless critical to reaping the benefits of the time, money and effort you’re invested in these two days of networking and training. Even better, they suggest following up on Linkedin. Bring more business cards than you think you’ll need The Denver Private Investigator Blogger would like you to learn from her mistakes and always bring more business cards than you think you need to the conference. Maybe another obvious one but business cards are a pain to replicate by hand so just bring more. By Susanna Speier Denver Private Investigator Blogger Of course, teleportation would be ideal, however if you’re not heading to the 2016 Professional Private Investigators Association of Colorado (PPIAC) conference September 23rd and 24th in Denver next month, there is no dearth of alternative options. September may, in fact, be the busiest month of the year for private investigator industry events. Here’s the rundown: If you’re trying to expand your firm to reach a more global clientele, you may want to hop across the pond and attend the World Association of Detectives (W.A.D.) conference in Bucharest, Romania. W.A.D.s 91st annual conference runs from September 13th to September 18th at the Athenee Palace Hilton from September 13th to September 16th and is hosted by the longest running private investigator association in the world – W.A.D. was established in 1925!! And by the way, you don’t need to go overseas to learn about international investigations though. The Florida Association of Private Investigators (FAPI) will feature speakers from Egypt, Asia and Canada in its 2016 conference which takes place from September 21st to September 25th. Annual private investigator conferences will also take place this month in upstate New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Palm Desert, California, Arizona and Minnesota. |
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