Why did you become an investigator?
I always wanted to be in the criminal justice field.  I originally was in the background process for a local police department when I landed a job conducting theft and employee investigations.  Since then, I have been addicted to the investigations field.

Do you have a specialty?
I have always specialized in surveillance. In my opinion, surveillance is an art.  I have seen a lot of people try to conduct surveillance and very few succeed.  It is a tough part of investigations.  Often, this type of investigation is thought of as an easy and no effort part of the field.  It is actually the farthest from easy or simple.  Surveillance often requires large amounts of planning and research before the surveillance even starts.  Then, once the surveillance starts, a competent investigator needs to know the tricks of the trade to make the surveillance successful.

How did you get into surveillance?
I started by conducting surveillance investigations of suspected theft rings that regularly hit department stores in the Orange County and Los Angeles area. After that, I conducted worker's compensation insurance fraud surveillance investigations throughout the state of California.

What do you like most about being a private investigator?
Finding the truth for people.  Often, we are hired by companies and individuals who have an immense desire to know something.  For our society, I think not knowing is a great insecurity. I'm happy that I get to provide the knowledge that mitigates that insecurity.  I get to give a person or company that tidbit of power, after all, information is power.  I also like conducting investigations all over California.

What kind of training or education have you received, anything specialized?
Continuing education and training throughout one's investigations career is vital. I have dedicated myself to always learning more about my field and the ever changing laws and regulations that surround it. I have specialized training in Surveillance, Witness Interviewing, and Court Testimony as an Expert Witness.  Some of my training has come from California State University, Fullerton and other schools.  I have also acquired a lot of training from the California Association of Licensed Investigators.  I earned my Certified Professional Investigator designation from the association.

What types of clients do you work with?
I work for a wide variety of clients.  These clients range from individual members of the public to private businesses to government entities.  Sometimes, our clients even include other private investigators who need a specialized touch for an existing case or they simply do not know how to conduct the investigation they are managing.

What is a typical investigative day like for you?
It really depends on what the current case load is like.  This is one of the factors I enjoy of this career; every day is different.  One day, I could be in Hollywood conducting a surveillance.  The next day, I could be in Orange County conducting an interview. It makes every day an exciting, different day.

Do you have any advice for aspiring PIs?
Get hired by an investigations firm; even if it is a low paying position.  This is how you get your foot in the door.  You will learn more in this career with on-the-job training. Traditional education is also extremely important.  There are many private detective training courses online.  However, do your research before committing to any online investigation schooling program.

Are you involved in any PI organizations?
Yes.  I currently hold the position Vice President of Investigative Services for the California Association of Licensed Investigators [CALI].  The California Association of Licensed Investigators is the world's largest association of licensed investigators.