After hitting a dry spell in the case since I got back from Istanbul, I decided to apply for the opening at the Lost and Found Detective Agency. This is the agency that my Grandpa Gordon had hired when Yua’s case went cold. While they were unsuccessful in solving the case, the founder and owner seemed to be a class act.

One of the requirements for the job was a CPR and first aid certification, luckily for me I already had both mainly because they were also requirements for both a police officer as well as a detective.

While Jasmine Giordano was no longer doing case work, she still ran the agency and she was the one who interviewed me. We hit it off right away and the interview went very smoothly, or at least, I felt it did. Apparently Ms Giordano felt the same way because I was notified a couple of days later that I had the job. There were five other applicants. So when I was chosen, I felt pretty good about getting the position.

I don’t know what I was hoping for by working at the agency, but at the very least, I hoped to learn a few things that would help me with my sister’s case.

The agency specialized in locating Missing & Exploited Children, Runaways, Stolen Children/Adults, Parental Child Abductions, Kidnappings, Sex Trafficking, Cult Infiltrations/Rescue and Child Pornography.

Some of the things that I would learn are listed below:

-Investigative and surveillance techniques

-Laws and ethics pertaining to investigative practice

-Questioning witnesses

-Evidence-handling procedures

Duties of a Private Detective

A private detective’s case load often includes background investigations, surveillance and skip traces, and searches for missing people. In some cases private detectives can serve legal documents that notify a person of their involvement in legal proceedings, such as court subpoenas. Serving such legal documents is required to adhere to the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments, which guarantee the right to due process. Due process is the principle that all persons are treated equally in the eyes of the law. It stems from the US Constitution’s Fifth Amendment which guarantees that “no person shall … be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law”.

What a private detective investigates is based on what their specialty areas are. But no matter what a detective investigates, they must all collect facts and organize them. Detectives gather facts a few different ways. The first is by surveillance. This includes following a person without being noticed and without losing them. While some agencies have surveillance vans, many detectives work out of their car. The surveillance process can be long and with a possibility of no breaks. Another way to gather information is to interview witnesses and suspects. This proves to be difficult though because the person being interviewed has no legal obligation to talk and if the interviewee is reluctant to talk, coercing information from them can pose legal and ethical problems. The final way that private detectives gather information is through accessing public records.

Private detectives must carefully look at tax records, birth and death records, court records, and DMV records. All of these methods provide information that the investigator then needs to analyze and report the findings back to the client.

Even though I had been a police officer and a detective I still had to go through a lengthy orientation process. I spent the first week just watching videos and taking tests.

Introduction to Investigation and Law Enforcement
• History of Law Enforcement
• The Criminal Justice System
• Types of Evidence and Their Usefulness
• Interviewing Techniques
• Principles of Interrogation

Introduction to Conducting Private Investigations
• The Ethics of Being a Private Investigator
• How to Conduct Research, Interviews, and Surveillance
• How to Manage the Products of an Investigation
• The Law of Public and Private Investigations
• Accident Investigations
• Background Investigations
• Criminal Investigations
• Domestic Investigations
• Fraud and Financial Investigations
• Insurance Investigations
• Missing Persons Investigations
• Undercover Investigations

The second week I sat in boring lectures. The instructor was from the local university. He worked per diem and gave lectures whenever the agency hired a new detective.

Investigator and Fraud Fighter Guidebook Volume 1
• The Successful Investigator
• Case Initiation
• Conducting Thorough Investigations
• Expanding Investigative Efforts
• Fraud, Waste, Abuse, and Systemic Weaknesses
• Summary Reports

Investigator and Fraud Fighter Guidebook Volume 2
• The Investigator’s Toolbox: Resources, Tools, and Techniques
• Interviewing
• Case Planning
• Large-Scale Investigations
• Making Presentations
• Providing Testimony
• Closing the Case
• Personal and Professional Growth

By my third week, I was ready to begin my internship in earnest which in Washington D.C. is for 36 months. Once I met the requirements, the agency would pay for my exam fees and my license application. If I failed the test, I was only given one more try, and that was at my own expense. I also want to explain further the licensing situation. Technically, you only need a PI license if you are working under your own aegis. My new boss holds her agents to higher standards and expects all of us to have our own licenses.

Once I got my license, I would continue to have a partner for the first year. After that, it would be case dependent on whether or not we were to be assigned partners. For instance, if our investigations led us to dangerous locations or required us to go undercover, we would have a partner. All in all, this agency was definitely “top drawer”.

Below is a list of some of the subjects tested on the Private Investigator test. It is a wonder that anyone passes the test.

• Pilferage
• Electronic Sources
• Types of Robbery
• Unauthorized Reproduction
• Traffic Accidents
• Shoplifting
• Employee Fraud
• Hearsay
• Crime Scene Processing
• Federal Rules of Evidence
• Miranda Ruling
• Conducting Research
• Case Presentation

• Report Writing Process
• Modus Operandi
• Presenting Testimony
• Fourteenth Amendment
• Body Language
• Implementing Strategies
• Entrapment
• Interview Code of Ethics
• Witness Interview
• Model Rules of Professional Conduct
• Computer Forgery
• Informant
• Freedom of Information Act
• Workplace Conflicts
• Collecting & Preserving Evidence
• Interrogation

• Types of Lawsuits
• Analysis Phase
• Person Description
• Workplace Investigation
• Polygraph Testing
• Evidence Collection
• Fourth Amendment
• Case Management
• Conflict Resolution
• Video Surveillance
• Administrative Dispute Resolution Act
• Franchise Law
• Surveillance Case Law
• Sexual Harassment
• ADR Administrator

• Inductive Reasoning
• Summary Jury Trial
• Foot Surveillance
• Developing Strategies

While I was intimidated at first by the scope of the exam, with proper study habits, the test was definitely doable. So after I completed my internship, I took my boards and I am quite proud to say I aced them. I now have my PI license, and if I chose to, I could technically work on my own. While I had been technically working on my own after I left Metro, I wasn’t getting paid, so I did not need a license. I may be splitting hairs here and and some people say “Po-tay-to” while others say “Po-tah-to”, but I do feel that the work I did as an unlicensed investigator was justified.

All during this time, I continue to work on my sister’s case. I like to think of these last few years as training for the final round.

For the four years I worked with the agency, I learned a lot about finding missing people. I also worked several times as an undercover detective, and each time I did so, I became more proficient at it. As an agency, our success rate was quite high. As a result, our services were in big demand. We also had a good retention rate because our boss, Ms. Giordano paid top dollar to all of her detectives.

For the most part, everyone got along well so, the work environment was pleasant and the detectives seemed to take pride in our case clearance rate. Over the four years that I worked with this agency, we have done some really good work in not only the US, but in Mexico, and all over Europe and Asia as well.

As usual, whenever I start discussing a new topic I like to give some background information. Kidnapping refers to the abduction and captivity of a person, typically to obtain a ransom. It is truly amazing how many people are kidnapped every day of the year. There are many causes for kidnapping including unemployment, poverty, illiteracy, greed, corruption, religion, financial gain, power, slavery, and political issues to name a few.

Unemployment

The high unemployment rate in many countries has forced citizens to find other ways to make money—and some of those ways are illegal. Kidnapping a rich person can be a lucrative business. A cash-strapped unemployed person may believe that when he kidnaps someone who is rich, he may be able to become rich himself.

Poverty

Any person who lives below $1.25 a day is living below the poverty line. Poverty can propel people toward crime as a way to make ends meet. Sometimes, a person who is poor might believe that kidnapping or other illegal acts could provide the necessary money to start a new life—a life that will no longer involve crime.

Illiteracy

Illiteracy is the inability to read or write. When people know how to read and write, they can gain the skills they need in order to become educated, get a job, and live a productive life. Literacy and education can also be an important foundation upon which to build a deeper understanding of moral judgment and decision-making.

Religion

Many kidnappings in the world today have their root cause in religion. Some people love their religion so much that even when it teaches them something that is wrong, they believe it is right. One religious leader may want to take over another group—and order his men to kidnap his rivals.

Greed

Some people are not contented with what they have and wish they could buy more and more things—whether it’s fancy clothes, cars, houses, or jewelry. This kind of person may turn to crime to make more money. A wicked businessman can kidnap his business rival for a large ransom to become richer.

Politics

Corrupt politicians may arrange for the kidnapping of their opponents. Sometimes, they do this so that their opponents will make concessions or change their votes on the issues.

Corruption

A society where corruption is rife is likely to experience a high level of kidnapping. The truth is that if a government is corrupt and embezzling public funds, citizens may react by kidnapping those corrupt politicians in an attempt to recoup some of the stolen money.

Kidnapping Often Involves Torture or Rape

Kidnappers sometimes choose to torture their victims so that they can force money out of their relatives or associates. Sometimes, they may even torture for fun. One form of torture is rape.

Effects of Kidnapping

For the victims, there are many negative consequences of kidnapping, including:

Psychological Trauma

The negative psychological effects of being abducted are huge, especially for a child. Depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) may last a lifetime.

Fear and Lack of Trust

Kidnapping has caused disorder in societies today. Kidnapping is a global problem with many root causes, including unemployment, poverty, religion, and politics. Each of these root causes must be evaluated and addressed in order to eliminate this terrible scourge once and for all.

Any country that wants to fight kidnapping successfully must hire and train capable agents to combat the issue. When law enforcement agencies are actively involved, the incidence of this crime can be lessened.

In a society where the incidence of kidnapping is high, fear limits people’s lives and actions. They will always move with caution as they do not know who might be the next target. The rich surround themselves with security guards because of their fear of getting kidnapped.

WHAT ARE THE REASONS TO KIDNAP A Child?

FOR SEXUAL EXPLOITATION

Sadly, sexual exploitation is one of the leading causes of kidnappings. Usually, these crimes are committed by someone close to the family (or even by a family member). Pedophiles make use of these friendly connections to gain the child’s trust before committing their heinous act.

However, these crimes can also be committed by random people. We all know the story of a man in a van asking a random child if they want candy. As with every cliché, this story has a sad truth attached to it.

BECAUSE OF CUSTODY BATTLES

The main reason behind child abduction cases is probably not as nefarious as you might think. Most child kidnappings are the direct result of a custody battle. Unhappy with the court’s decision, the losing parent takes the kids and disappears.

The reasoning behind this train of thought can be twofold: on the one hand, they might just be looking for revenge on the winning parent, on the other, they might genuinely think that they have the child’s best interests in mind.

WHAT ARE THE REASONS TO KIDNAP AN ADULT?

Children are not the only victims of kidnappings. Adults (most frequently women) are also victims of this crime.

While some of the reasons can be the same as the reasons behind a child’s kidnapping, adults can also be kidnapped for different reasons:

FORCED LABOR

Adults from poor developing nations are often kidnapped and forced to work against their will.

This usually happens when people fall into human trafficking schemes. Under the promise of a better life and good working conditions, the victims agree to move to a different country for a job. However, once they get there, they have their passports stolen and are forced to work in horrible conditions for minimal pay in order to pay for the trip and their living expenses.

SEX TRAFFICKING

Women from developing nations can also be victims of sex trafficking schemes. It works in a similar way to other human trafficking schemes, although it can take even darker turns.

Women who become victims of this crime are forced to perform sex work in order to pay a fictious debt or simply because they have no other option.

FORCED MARRIAGES

Adults can also be kidnapped to take part in a forced marriage. This is most common in countries such as India or in the Middle East.

Young adults (and sometimes teenagers) are taken by someone to whom they were promised in marriage to. All of this is done under the guise of tradition.

Training Anti-Kidnapping Agents

Monitoring the Police

Reports show that the police are involved in some kidnappings. Notable examples have occurred in Mexico. Eliminating the criminals within the ranks of law enforcement is key.

Seriously Punishments for Offenders

Mild punishment does nothing to deter criminals. When the government treats kidnappers harshly, fewer abductions will occur.

Job Creation

Generating jobs for citizens, especially for the youth, can have a huge impact on the fight against crime. When people are gainfully employed, they do not need to commit crimes.

Kidnapping has caused disorder in societies today. Kidnapping is a global problem with many root causes, including unemployment, poverty, religion, and politics. Each of these root causes must be evaluated and addressed in order to eliminate this terrible scourge once and for all.

All I know is that people have been getting kidnapped and enslaved for thousands of years, and even though we are supposedly living in an advanced society, the practice of kidnapping will most likely continue on for the foreseeable future.

As long as it does, there will be work for people like me. Because our agency was highly regarded in law enforcement, we are consulted in difficult cases especially when international ties are suspected. Even the FBI can get overwhelmed from time to time. Hiring independent contractors seems to be a growing trend. Even the Pentagon is hiring highly-trained mercenaries to guard high profile individuals who go overseas and to fight in areas where there are troop shortages.

Because I was starting to get a reputation for my undercover work, I was getting more and more undercover assignments. The most heinous one but the one with the biggest payoff would involve me working in a brothel, of all places, in Luxembourg. While prostitution is legal in Luxembourg, there are a lot of suspicious practices taking place, including their use of trafficked individuals including minors from the U.S. and around the world.

Actually, I never worked in a brothel. When I appeared for my interview and they saw what I looked like, they decided my talents would be better served as a honey trap for young girls. Even though this wasn’t the plan laid out by my boss and the government agency that hired us, they were overjoyed by the turn of events. They just never suspected that I would get hired for such a critical job so quickly.