![]() By Susanna Speier Denver Private Investigator Blogger The Denver Private Investigator blog just launched an new Instagram and we look forward to figuring out what we're doing based on your feedback. Instagram is a platform that many of our esteemed colleagues still regard as a clandestine surveillance tool rather than a broadcast one.so we'll be paying close attention to your likes and comments as well as observing how other PIs use the platform for day to day observations about the local, regional and national private investigator world. Our top five selections were made based on storytelling ability, originality, distinct voice, photo quality, relevance and useful information. Metrics and follower count were not a factor in this selection . Not because it isn't important but the internet and Instagram already rewards high follower counts. We wanted to invest our time into custom picking grams that provide value to the security and private investigator community and might otherwise be overlooked. If your Instagram can teach us more about crime investigation, surveillance, to DNA analysis, skip tracing, surveillance, criminal defense, and witness interviews the history of the industry then please be sure we know about it so we can consider it for inclusion in future recommendations. #1 -International Spy Museum - the International Spy Museum, which we have reviewed in previous posts, is about to move to a magnificent new building Washington, D.C. The museum presumably has an expanded marketing team that overshadows anything that a part-time employee with more limited financial resources could do however for history nerds following them will keep you current on the museum while teaching you about spies, artifacts and about spyware throughout history. Giving them first place is, in many ways, about honoring the museum that provides everything from lock picking workshops to historical documents like the one George Washington penned initiating America's first spy network by enlisting Nathaniel Sackett. "The letter served as the launching point for an intricate and secretive intelligence network known as the Culper Spy Ring that would in large part save the American Revolution," according to the museum's instagram. See also: the Denver Private Investigator Blog's International Spy Museum review History buffs and gadget geeks will be having the time of their life following this feed. If your focus is more on engagement and shop talk, however this pop culture and government espionage focused feed will be less useful than posts focusing on personal injury, corporate espionage, infidelity surveillance and legal investigations. That said, who knows where your best ideas might come from? An additional Spy Museum events feed is entirely museum events focused and if, like us, you're based in the Denver metro area (or Lone Tree, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, Pueblo, Glenwood Springs, Steamboat Springs, Crested Butte, Boulder, Craig, Grand Junction, Breckinridge, Telluride, Durango, etc) area it'll trigger a major FOMO crisis so consider yourself warned. We selected it as the top Instagram to follow because of the quality and variety. There are diverse historical figures represented and stories with a global interest and impact. #2 - Lancaster Detective - Lancaster Detective agency CEO, Sean L. Hall has been doing such a supurb job of documenting the day-to-day activities of a private eye in Pennsylvania that his work was featured in a summer photography exhibit as part of a first Friday walk And, yes, we learned about it by following his Instagram. We also like how Hall juxtaposes mundane day-to-day objects like coffee cups with sophisticated surveillance devices like built-in camera glasses and acquisition for his vintage camera collection. One day he is sharing a reflection in a puddle and the next wandering through a snowy Lancaster street and taking you with him as he takes us from diner breakfasts to snow covered trees all while on assignment. Whether you want to take a peak at how he uses a cough drop packages to hold a surveillance camera in place or just want to get a glimpse into the sometimes black and white and sometimes color world of someone who does something similar to what you do but in a different part of the country we recommend following Lancaster Detective on Instagram. ![]() #3 - p.i._memes - Will the anonymous gumshoes responsible for these please step forward? And yes, this "invisible one's" gags are mostly surveillance focused however they are original, industry relevant and appear to be sparking interesting conversations in the comments section about only things a private investigator who pulls long surveillance hours and has to figure out how to create. If you read the conversation you'll even some impromptu schooling on how to improvise an in-vehicle, um, restroom on those extra long surveillance days. We have a hunch this is a Cali based PI but can't be sure. We have also noted that the oldest post is dated February 23 which means this poster is greener than us. Yes that is actually possible. So please follow this meme making surveillance operative and encourage new posts since it is not easy being green. #4 - the_detectiveagency - this Florida based private investigator firm shares memes that are funny, insightful, informative and historically relevant. Props earned for going the extra distance with exceptionally dynamic black history posts interspersed with provocative commentary on today's criminal justice system. #5 - WantedPodcast - behind this gem of a gram is a modern day Bonnie and Clyde couple (pictured below in photo taken by Charla Ayers/Wild Blooms Photography) documenting their daily Boba Fett activities on Instagram and a Podcast on which they debrief. While the Instgram isn't as dynamic as each of their personal Instagram accounts accounts we laud their innovation -- they've even launched a line of branded bail recovery merch! We wish we could see more of letter written by 'Gary,' the sovereign nation guy featured in podcast two. In the letter he actually proclaims the agents were guilty of "treason" and "war crimes" for interfering with his independent nation -i.e.- the nation of Gary. We will provide more details on the Wanted Podcast team in our next post so be sure to subscribe to our blog but submitting your email to us using the box in the top righthand column of this page. By Susanna Speier Denver Private Investigator Blogger If your spouse or significant other is a private investigator they're going to love anything with a detective theme. Not like we're biased or anything but with all the Detective stories and detective inspired iconography out there, how can you not get a detective themed Valentine's Day gift for someone you care about? But where do you find unique Valentine's Day gifts for private investigators? We did some investigating ourselves and here's what we came up with: ![]() Soy Detective themed candle What better way to transform an office space into the beginning of an episodic 8411 ½ Sunset Strip to evoke the office of private investigator, Lew Archer, Hollywood, 1949 or the 222B Baker Street candle to conjure the essence of Sherlock a handmade soy candle by Flame Noir the detective novel inspired handmade candle company. This particular one even includes a hint of old fashion shaving cream! Handmade wooden clip board If you missed our last post or didn't read to the end please note the featured photo of Colorado process server Tom Mills demonstrating how to hold a phone with a clipboard when severing papers. If your partner is spending a lot of time serving papers then get them a nice, handmade wooden clipboard they're going to love like an Everlasting furniture or Estatoe Woodworks. Wooden phone holder to carry with the wooden clip board since it's Colorado where you can all out with mountain, pine tree themes round we thought we'd also recommend a phone case to match your clip board. This WOODgraw shop phone case has a mountain range actually etched into the wood and this Mandallion has one with "The Mountains are Calling and I must go," engraved. If you're doing serves in Estes Park, Aspen, Vail, Leadville, Basalt, Carbondale, Evergreen, Winter Park, Avon, Glenwood Springs, Dillon, Manitou Springs or Nederland you'll blend right into mountain dweller culture. If you'd rather go the safe and subtle route by calling as little attention as possible to your phone there are plenty of plain wood phone cases on Etsy and you can always ask makers for a custom clipboard and phone set so the fact that the serve is being recorded is all the more discreet. Detective mug coffee mugs are always great gifts for the hard boiled sleuth and we found some nice ones like Themuglyfe's "Only the Strongest Women Become Detectives" mug. Agatha Christie Charm Bracelet - if the investigator in your life is an Agatha Christie fan they're going to love this Hercule Poiro charm bracelet. The maker, Murder She Tote, also sells an Agatha Christie Bracelet a Miss Marple Bracelet and a Nancy Drew bracelet! ![]() By Susanna Speier Denver Private Investigator Blogger The day was overcast and unseasonably warm. The staff of Colorado's Judicial Center was professional and friendly. "That's actually a job?" the front desk receptionist asked when I handed the business card listing my title as the "Denver Private Investigator Blogger," over the round, dark wood receptionist table. Indeed it is, I explained and could I schedule a meeting with Attorney General, Cynthia Coffman or one of her media representatives to discuss Rule 8.4 C? Following its September 28, 2017 announcement, I've only heard shocked and horrified responses from the private investigator community. Jesse Paul's Denver Post article stated "lawyers can now engage in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation when advising law enforcement officers, investigators or clients during lawful investigative activities. The Colorado Attorney General’s Office says they can’t personally conduct such subterfuge, but can supervise those actions." Let that sink in. Attorneys ---the ones who hire private investigators to interview witnesses, obtain evidence and investigate cases--- can now outsource the sordid and insidious tasks of committing fraud and acting deceitfully to the private investigators who depend on those attorney's assignments in order to make payroll!!
![]() Future posts will explore the question of how much pressure a client can put on a private investigator to push legal boundaries. I'll be interviewing a wide range of Colorado legal industry professionals. I shall also continue trying to get through to Coffman's office or get referred to another Colorado government official who can help clarify why this rule seemed necessary to ensure safety and justice in Colorado. Is there is someone you think I should speak with or interview? Please leave a message in the comments below or notify us via Facebook or Twitter. ![]() By Susanna Speier Denver Private Investigator Blogger The annual Professional Private Investigators of Colorado (PPIAC) conference will be held in Westminster, Colorado this year from September 14th to September 16th. Owner and lead investigator of Richard Brooks Investigations, LLC will lead one of the workshops. In addition to being the Mission Chapter Director of the Mississippi Association for Christian Private Investigators. Richard is also a member of other international and state PI associations. Most notably the Council of (PI) Association Leaders, the National Association of Legal Investigators, the National Council of Investigation and Security Services and the International Association of Legal Investigators, the National Council of Investigation and Security Services and the International Intelligence Network. He is former active duty military and civilian law enforcement and a certified forensic interviewer who has been designated and testified as an expert in general police procedures, use of force and forensic interviewing. He has even appeared in a network reality show as a PI. The conference will be hosted at the Denver Westminster Marriott and participants can choose between two, three and single day participant packages. Participant fees range from $150 to $375. For a full schedule of events including Ethics with Kitty Haily and Cultural Considerations to Russian Investigations with Anastasiya Bolton (who is also a 9 news reporter) visit their website for a full schedule. ![]() By Susanna Speier Denver Private Investigator Blogger Last month, in Switzerland, a couple was found seventy-five years after they disappeared. They were headed up the mountain to milk the cows and ended up staying there until the Tsanfleuron glacier near a ski lift above Les Diablerets resort at an altitude of 8,600 ft began receding seventy-five years after the search parties had given up. Because their 1942 clothing and backpacks were so well preserved it was clear to local Swiss police that something was unusual. Marcelin and Francine Dumoulin were 37 and 40 at the time they went missing. According to Time Magazine, Udry-Dumoulin, who is now 79, and became an orphan when she was four, said she and her six siblings spent their "whole lives" looking for their parents, "without stopping." She told Le Matin that they hoped to give them "the funeral they deserved one day" thereby finally achieving closure, once the DNA results verified the identities. The Independent ran a story about the funeral that enabled to two surviving children of the couple to finally get closure. Marcelene who was four the day her parents went missing said she had climbed that glacier three times after her parents had vanished and the nieces said they were "now happy they were finally able to mourn." Sometimes closure never occurs, despite DNA results and other forms of objective evidence. Bay Area private investigator, Michael Spencer just published a book about his own private investigator experiences and the animated book trailer (which includes a voice over intro by Pursuit Mag, Editor-in-Chief, Hal Humphreys) tells the story of a blind and wealthy guy who meets with a private investigator to pursue the answers to unresolved questions he has about his wife's fidelity however none of the evidence Spencer provides can appease the man and finally Spencer has to tell him that it's time to close the case. It is an unexpected and refreshing twist on the 1st person detective genre and registers as something like a mashup of Sam Spade and of NPR's StoryCorps. Hopefully more animated shorts from Spencer will follow. Meanwhile you can preorder the book the story comes from on Amazon and it will be available in September. ![]()
By Susanna Speier
Denver Private Investigator With 8.4 breweries per capita (Colorado is third in the nation) Denver distilleries are no anomaly. Given the mile high city's epic frontier, crime and bootlegger history, however it is surprising that Detective and film noir themed parties are as rare as grizzly bear sightings.
You'll be able to catch one of those rare opportunities on Saturday, July 8th when the Clifford Still Museum hosts DiSTILLed: Noir. The theme draws inspiration from Shade: Clyfford Still/Mark Bradford, an exhibit they are running in collaboration with the Denver Art Museum. The invitation encourages participants to "dress in your noir best" which may actually make this the best private investigator date night event in the city's post-speakeasy history. The party will also include blackout poetry (popularized by the writer Austin Kleon) and a detail detective game to play in the galleries.
Tickets cost $15 in advance and $20 at the door. As well as getting you access to the party and galleries, entry includes two bands (one of them is blues) spinning spiral video projections, a cash bar with a selection of locally brewed gin, beer and vodka. There will also be a selection of Filipino food and Sleuths with a sweet tooth can hover by the candy station!
The Clyfford Still museum is located at: 1250 Bannock Street Denver, CO 80204 tel 720-354-4880 DiSTILLed Noir takes place Saturday, July 8th from 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm. Advanced tickets available on the website. For discounted parking garages near the Museum, guests may use Parking Panda and the promotion code: CLYFFORD15. Metered street parking is also available. Bike racks are located on the south side of the Museum. If you're planning to drive in from Wyoming, Ft Collins, Boulder, Louisville or Westminster click here for directions. If you're coming from Colorado Springs, Monument, Castle Rock, Centennial, Parker, Lone Tree, Englewood other places south of Denver, drive north on I-25 to the Lincoln-Broadway exit (207). |
Sign-up for email alerts to follow the latest developments in the world of private investigators.
Archives
December 2020
Categories
All
|