THE PRIVATE INVESTIGATION OF CRIME

In the early hours of Friday, March 14^th a blazing fire broke out at a Jersey Shore hotel. Approximately 40 people were in residence at the time, and the hotel was a temporary home for several victims of Superstorm Sandy. These people have found themselves on the streets again, with even more lost and damaged property than they had suffered before.

Currently, three men have been declared dead from the blaze. One woman managed to survive by taking shelter in the tub in her bathroom and turning the shower water on. Firefighters got her out through a window. A man in another apartment found no other escape but to jump out of his second-story window. He sustained a sprained ankle and no other significant injuries.

Ten people were still unaccounted for since the fire broke out, though police and firefighters are not ruling out the chance that these people either escaped before the fire got out of control or were not home at the time. The focus, in the first days after flames engulfed the building, was to make sure that no one else was trapped alive inside and to find all of the missing residents of the hotel.

Officials have not released any theories on the cause of the fire, though they have said that stories from residents at home at the time of the fire are confusing and conflicting. Some residents claim to have heard fire alarms. Some say that they heard nothing but the sound of burning timber above their heads.

The possibility of hiring a PI

If you’ve been injured or lost property and/or a place to live in a fire or other accident, you should absolutely call a lawyer. But you may also want to call a private investigator, or ask your attorney if they have a trusted PI on retainer. Attorneys use private investigators for everything from retrieving police reports to investigating crime scenes. Many times it is best to start with a seasoned and experienced investigator who can recommended the best civil and criminal lawyers for your case. Most of us are in court two to three times a week and know the players who can hit the ball out of the park.

To find out who’s at fault and what recourse they have, residents of the hotel could call a private investigation firm to help them with their case. With the right evidence, be it evidence of arson or faulty wiring, can mean the difference between moving to another low-rent, extended stay hotel with nothing but the smoke-damaged clothes on their backs, or getting recompense for all of the damage, pain, and suffering that the fire has caused them.

The focus of attention

The private investigation of crimes can have numerous benefits but the primary benefit is that your case can have the full focus of attention of the investigative firm. In addition, the top firms in the United States will keep pressure on the responsible law enforcement agencies involved in the investigation. Often these cases taken on multi-jurisdication lines with different departments (Fire, Police, District Attorney and even the United States Attorney’s Office.

Fire investigations are conducted by a small club of experts. Arson crimes and investigations are conducted by less than one percent of the Unites States private investigative establishment. Do not hire an agency like ours just becasue we have great credentials and be composed of former agents of the DEA, FBI, IRS and Secret Service. When is the last time any of those agencies responded to a fire? Don’t be afraid to ask our agency or anyone, “Who willing be leading the investigation and what are his/her arson authority credentials.”

Not all private investigators are the same. Always make sure that the private investigative firm you choose is reputable, and will gather evidence legally and in a court-admissible manner.

In Thomas Martin’s latest book, Seeing Life Through Private Eyes, he shares insights and information from some of his most interesting cases throughout the years. Life is filled with circumstances and decisions which, if handled improperly, can result in unsavory consequences for many years to come. Thomas provides information on dealing with many of these scenarios and offers advice on protecting yourself, your business and your family. Seeing Life Through Private Eyes will be available for purchase June 2017. Click here to pre-order your copy now.