Hollywood and media portrayals of investigative techniques simplify, for dramatic effect, the tools, methods, and resources used to conduct an investigation. While we love our work at Gilliam Burke Investigations, it does not make for gripping television.
However, it is these portrayals that inform the public’s notion of what we do and how we do it. An intrepid consumer may google “how does a private investigator do X?” and find information that may be more-or-less accurate in a US context, but does not reflect the reality of conducting investigations in Canada. There are resources available in the US that simply do not exist in Canada. Even with the resources that do exist, it still takes a skilled investigator to use them effectively.
It is not as simple as “running a name” through a central repository to obtain an address, bank information, or a comprehensive background investigation.
Information
So how does Gilliam Burke Investigations obtain information? By conducting an investigation — careful and methodical research and analysis by skilled, experienced professionals of all the information sources that are available. It is not just a matter of knowing where to look, but how to look; who to ask, and how to turn raw data from disparate sources into a solution to a problem.
While social media and other online sources are excellent resources for the professional investigator skilled in using them, there are some things that are simply not available online. Sometimes perseverance and shoe-leather win the day. More often than not, it is all of these things together.
Intelligence
Gathering information is only one piece of a proper investigation.
Some investigators will provide a either a “data dump”, or an investigation consisting of a single data point, without the context, verification, and analysis to produce an actionable intelligence product. Raw information alone is rarely of value. This is particularly true in locate investigations, and ends up costing more time and money than conducting a diligent, comprehensive investigation at the outset.
Gilliam Burke Investigations is an unparalleled provider of actionable intelligence. Our methods stand up to scrutiny in court. Our reports provide comprehensive intelligence. Our investigations seamlessly combine both the analogue and the digital to find solutions.
Are you curious about what makes us different? Contact us today.