PI Blotter: City Hires Private Investigators to Track Employees

• May 17, 2012
• by PInow Staff
• In the News

Each week PInow combs the web for the latest and most interesting industry news stories to bring you the Weekly Private Investigator Blotter.

Documentary Looks at How Private Investigators Get Sensitive Data

ENGLAND – Channel 4's Dispatches is a documentary that has been receiving a great deal of attention lately. The program takes a look at how easily private investigators are able to access private information that should not be readily available. In the documentary, an undercover reporter pretended to be part of a risk analysis company. The reporter approached private investigators to see how much information he could glean. According to the documentary, many investigators were willing to violate the Data Protection Act, exchanging sensitive information for money.

To read the full article, click here.

District Hires Private Investigation Firm

CHICAGO, IL – Warren Township District 121 will be working with an Illinois private investigator to ensure that incoming freshmen have their residency status checked. The school board has a contract with National Investigations Inc. to ensure that students attending the schools in the area are qualified to do so. The district is one of many across the country cracking down on out-of-district students who are not honest about their residence.

To read the full article, click here.

Who is Watching Surveillance Camera Feeds?

WASHINGTON, DC – Surveillance cameras today are used by businesses, homeowners, and private investigators to keep track of properties and individuals. The newest cameras allow for remote access to feeds, but according to security experts this feature makes the live streams vulnerable to hackers who can view the footage. Justin Cacak of Gotham Digital Science says that one of the most vulnerable aspects of these cameras is that they often come with factory settings and in many cases businesses and private investigators do not bother to change the settings, allowing others to access the streams. In one survey, Cacak found that 70% of surveillance video systems were left at default settings.

To read the full article, click here.

Employees Under Scrutiny in Private Investigation Launched by City

HIALEAH, FL -- Mayor Carlos Hernández has announced that a third employee, Mario Figueredo a city inspector, has been fired after a private investigation revealed that the man had called in sick on more than one occasion to work on his own business.  Two other employees have also been fired after Hialeah Florida private investigators found the two were running personal errands in city vehicles while on the clock. Hernández has come under fire for refusing to disclose the name of the private investigation firm used in the surveillance and refusing to reveal how much public money has been spent on the investigations.

To read the full article, click here.

City Questioned Over Private Investigation Costs

ALBUQUERQUE, NM – City Chief Administrative Officer Rob Perry is being questioned after it has been revealed that the city has spent millions of dollars over the years for private investigation services. Private investigators were hired largely to track employees who were suspected of misconduct. The Albuquerque New Mexico investigators were also part of tort claims and workers compensation cases. Perry claims that the cost is necessary, but many are raising questions about the total costs. According to public records, two private investigation companies have been paid over $600,000 by the city and the city has spent approximately $3 million in private investigation services since 2000.

To read the full article, click here.

Man Hires Private Investigators to Get Dog Back

NEW YORK, NY – Craig Dershowitz has spent about $60 000 on attorneys and private investigators to get his dog, Knuckles, back from a former girlfriend. Dershowitz alleges that his former partner took the dog without his consent when she moved to the West Coast. To raise money for his legal efforts, Dershowitz is asking for donations online and selling t-shirts. So far, he has raised over $1,200.

To read the full article, click here. 

For more private investigator news highlights, click here to check out the in-the-news archives.