Private Investigator Resources

Private Investigator - Frank Ritter

Guidance on the Management, Recording and Investigation of Missing Persons.

 Click here to download a copy of the guide.

Based on an article in our last newsletter feedback was received from a colleague in the United Kingdom.  He made us aware that the UK Police National Missing Persons Bureau (PNMPB) is the centre for the exchange of information connected with the search for missing persons both nationally and internationally. The Bureau focuses on cross matching missing persons with unidentified persons.  On their website the center has published a downloadable PDF version of Guidance on the management, Recording and Investigation of Missing Persons.

Although the document was drafted in order to develop national standards in the UK, many of the investigative and supervisory techniques are directly applicable to US investigations.  Some of the issues covered in the guide are:

First officer to attend

Responsibilities of first officer attending report of a missing person

Risk assessment

Classification of risk and response

Decision making guide

Review of risk

Missing persons process chart

Investigative issues to consider

Search and evidence gathering

Legal powers for search

General principles of searching

Scenario based searching

Full managed search

Volunteer search teams

Members of the public

Sightings

Critical incidents

Media strategy

Family liaison and support

Interview on return from missing

Click here to download a copy of the guide.

What do to if your Child is Missing provides parents with the most current information on, and helpful insights into, what families should do when a child is missing. The first edition of this Guide was written in 1998 by parents and family members who have experienced the disappearance of a child. It contains their combined advice concerning what to expect when a child is missing, what needs to be done, and where to go for help. It explains the role that various agencies and organizations play in the search for a missing child and discusses some of the important issues that need to be considered. The Guide is divided into seven chapters, each of which is structured to allow information to be found quickly and easily. Each chapter explains both the short- and long-term issues and contains a checklist and chapter summary for later reference. A list of recommended readings and a list of public and private resources appear at the back of the Guide. This third edition of the Guide was published in 2004.

Download - What to Do if your Child is Missing.

View the Web version.

http://www.whois.net/

You can look up domain name registration.  For instance, run www.hitechcj.com.  You will get my business address. 

http://www.calbar.ca.gov/state/calbar/calbar_generic.jsp?cid=10114

State Bar of California attorney search and locator.  I imagine other states have similar databases.  Check out your attorney for Bar discipline before you contract the work!

http://kepler.ss.ca.gov/list.html

California Business Search.  All corps, including LP, LLC and non-profits are listed with agent of process server.  Again, I image all states have similar databases.

http://www.zabasearch.com/

Still giving basic information.  An easy, no-cost starting point.

http://ssdi.rootsweb.com/

Over 76 million records of deceased persons.  Really cool for checking to see if someone is using a dead persons Social Security No.  Or, maybe the missing person or fugitive is dead.  When I worked fugitives we made this the first place our investigators checked.  A few times the reason the offender didnt come to court is because they had an appointment with Satan.

http://www.fjc.gov/public/home.nsf/autoframe?openform&url_l=/public/home.nsf/inavgeneral?openpage&url_r=/public/home.nsf/pages/16

The Federal Judicial Center reference manual on Scientific Evidence.  You may find this a helpful reference source when looking at the various types of sciences, how they are introduced and how Daubert applies.

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/search.html

(useful link for searching patents online)