Top Instagram accounts for private investigators to follow

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.

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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them first place is, in many ways, about honoring the museum that provides everything from lock picking workshops to historical documents like the one George Washington penned initiating America's first spy network by enlisting Nathaniel Sackett.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.
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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. 

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​#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.