People are Asking Me What I Actually Do For A Living. Here are Some Answers!

From an Undisclosed Location—Ok, that’s a fair question.  The answer is complicated.  I’ll do my best to answer that.

Yes, I’m a licensed private detective but I avoid work that’s meaningless, illegal, or immoral.  My primary specialty is criminal defense and I’m considered an expert in self-defense cases involving deadly force. 

I accept other cases including personal injury cases where liability must be established and fixed.

In 1989 I was recruited to work as a TV investigative news producer.  I did not shut down my agency but agreed simply do the work for TV news like all my other clients. 

On news cases I spend my time finding out what the cops and other authorities do NOT want the media to know about the most high profile murders and such.  I’ve actually reported stories but generally never have the time to do anything but locate and hand over the material and important witnesses for interviews to those familiar TV faces. 

I have been sent to all over the USA, India and Europe on cases.  I speak fluent German thanks to that draft/conscript invitation from President Lyndon B. Johnson.  Germany was a much better assignment than Viet Nam!   I served as a medical corpsman which in addition to personally observing nearly 800 autopsies at Chicago’s Cook County Morgue helps me in homicide cases.

I write this blog for fun.  However, I wish I were sponsored more to travel and report on more of the crime stories around the world.  I do manage to cover a high profile story from time to time.

I love to report on filmmakers and review art, music and of course films.  I’m naturally attracted to crime films and documentaries. 

As my blog visitors know I’m a serious gun Rights advocate.  I’m often called to speak about gun rights on radio, TV or live events.

My latest endeavor is the camera/drone technology.  I value drones for video journalism in a big way.  Unfortunately as much as I’d like to be a somewhat less creepy, Droneie version of that film character in Jake Gyllenhaal's latest movie "Nightcrawler",  so far the FAA, so far has obstructed that new passion. 

My news experience has also given me a specialty in Media Crisis Management.  That’s helping high profile people and businesses deal with a sudden onset of bad publicity connected to serious allegations.

For more fun I like writing, acting (I’m a member of SAG-AFTRA) and making short and documentary films.

This blog has brought me some very exciting cases when my visitors have reached out to me for help.  As you can expect I can’t nor won’t talk about most of my cases due to necessary client confidentiality.

I seem to wear at lot of hats but for me they’re all interesting and fun.  I hope this answers a lot of questions.

Guns, Airports And Good Intentions

Most Airports around the country allow for lawful or licensed carry of firearms up to the TSA’s Gun Free Zone where the searching of passengers begins.

Some lawmakers want to place the entire world in a Gun Free Zone but jurisdictional boundaries, the Constitution and armed criminals make that pipe dream impossible.

Because of simple crime private investigators like me are called upon to perform bodyguard duties. Often I do this for specific threats where the police can’t provide this service. Very often I bring to or pick up people I’m retained to protect from airports.

Because of the maniacal TSA regulations, I cannot accompany a client while armed on a commercial plane despite having numerous licenses and various gun permits. I am however entitled to drop off and meet clients at most TSA checkpoints or as they exit the airport’s Gun Free Zones.

There is a new prohibition movement that would require my clients to be unprotected anywhere on airport grounds. This effort is a recipe for disaster.

We have enough hurdles such as L.A.’s premier celebrity protection agency, Gavin de Becker & Associates found out after one of their licensed, bonded and firearm permitted agents was arrested in New York at the JFK Airport. De Becker’s agent found himself on the other side of some prohibition technicality even the lawyers had a difficult time figuring out.

The private detective lobby is small, inadequate and too ineffective to fight any gun laws that affect them. I refuse to pay dues to private investigator associations because like CALI they encourage and allow government to endanger their membership with these dubious gun laws.

Licensed private investigators with valid gun permits should be allowed to protect their clients anywhere inside the United States of America. We need a federal law that would allow them to do their jobs as they cross state lines.