The Life of a Private Eye Ain't What You See In Old Movies

By Adam Kent-Isaac, Bloom Magazine, 10/18/2012

Despite what film noir would have movie-goers believe, being a private investigator is not all that glamorous of an occupation. At least not for local gumshoe Don C. Johnson. His office is not dimly lit and smoky; his waiting room is not filled with provocatively attired women; and he does not live life on the edge.

“Almost every aspect of the media portrayal is incorrect,” Johnson says. “Our day-to-day work is routine—writing reports, doing research online. There are no high-speed car chases, no gunfights. There’s nothing to be gained from putting lives in jeopardy.”

In fact, Don works predominantly with businesses and attorneys, doing background screenings and insurance-fraud investigations.

Johnson’s investigative career began with the Air Force as an intelligence analyst. One of a select group of airmen sent to Indiana University by the U.S. Department of Defense to study Russian at the height of the Cold War, Johnson was eventually deployed to a remote “listening post” in Turkey, where he intercepted Russian air defense communications.

After leaving the service, he worked as assistant to a theater union executive, investigating contract violations and administering claims. Then it was on to Burns International Services, an investigation company in New York City. After some time with a firm in Indianapolis, he set up shop in Bloomington, founding Trace Investigations in 1990.

After more than a quarter century as a professional investigator, Johnson finds some things have gotten easier. “You used to need a two-way radio in the field,” he says. “Now cell phones take care of that. Cameras are pretty much all digital these days and getting smaller. Thousands of images can be stored on a media card.” And the Internet has transformed the research process.

What remains unchanged is the need for persistent surveillance skills, he says. Lengthy car tailing and stakeouts are not uncommon; intense patience and focus are a must. If an investigator is “burned”—if the target spots him—he must simply make an exit and return to the hunt later.

Having charisma helps, too, especially in digging up leads. “You can’t coerce people to give you information,” says Johnson. “It takes good manners. Make them want to help. You catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar.”

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Junior Detective Solves Burglary in One Hour Through Facebook

By Daily Mail Reporter, 2 November 2012

It was a bit of detective work that even Sherlock Holmes would be proud of after a teenager tracked down a thief who burgled his family home - in just one hour.

Connor Kendall, 16, was told by police that there was little hope of ever finding the burglar who got away with a £1,000 haul - including a digital camera, camcorder, a laptop, and wristwatch - from his family home in Cornwall.

But he decided to take matters into his own hands and incredibly the amateur sleuth had things wrapped up in no time when he managed to track down the culprits himself.

Connor and three friends went into Bodmin near where he lives and began talking to local youngsters, friends and neighbours to find out if anyone knew anything.

After just 60 minutes of investigating the burglary, they discovered that someone was trying to sell his watch on a Facebook page.

Connor showed the page to police who arrested 22-year-old Jamie Fisher, from Roche, Cornwall - who has now been jailed for 28 months.

Connor said: "I contacted some of my mates and we found out that someone was trying to sell a laptop and cameras to people.

"We decided to go out and try to find the person who was selling them because they sounded like the things stolen from my house.

"We found some boys who said it was Jamie Fisher and the watch was on his Facebook. The whole thing took an hour."

Truro Crown Court heard Connor decided to take his own action after returning to his house and discovering the burglary on October 16. The kitchen window of the home was ajar and the back door unlocked.

Connor rounded up three friends Zak Landert, Jake Campbell, and Alex Long and began asking around until someone showed them the Facebook page.

Police gathered the information from their young helper and arrested Fisher, who admitted the burglary.

Connor’s father, water technician Kevin Kendall, 51, said: 'They went into town and asked people around their age if they knew whether the items were being sold somewhere.

 

"The name of Jamie Fisher came up and that was the case solved. The laptop is still missing but, thanks to Connor and his friends, everything else was found.
 

"It’s a bit of a worry thinking about him talking to people who might know criminals but they all did an excellent job and I’m very proud."

 

Fisher told the court he entered the property because he had no money and was not in receipt of benefits.

The court heard Fisher sold the laptop for £30 to buy cannabis but the other items were recovered.

The total value of the laptop, two digital cameras and the wristwatch Fisher stole was £960 - of which £330 worth was returned.

Sentencing Fisher to 28 months in prison, Judge John Neligan said: "You may have got away with it but for the young man’s detective work."