Pittsburgh Private Investigator
If you need to hire a private investigator in Pittsburgh,
call ICS today.
ICS understands the
urgent nature of private investigation cases, and we always offer a free
consultation to our clients.
Do not wait
to hire a private investigator, take the action to get your case solved as soon
as possible. Please feel comfortable contacting us at your earliest convenience
via our online consultation form or by calling Toll Free (800) 828-9198.
In Pittsburgh, it is illegal to act as a private
investigator without a private investigator license granted by an Allegheny
County Judge. In order to obtain their license, private investigators must pass
Pittsburgh’s rigorous licensing requirements, including an in-depth background
check and fingerprinting. Obtaining a Private Investigator’s license in
Pennsylvania is a little different than in most other states. There is no
written exam required, but generally applicants must have 3 years full time,
paid experience as a Detective on the police force, a Sheriff, a Police Officer
with ranking higher than Patrolman, or have held a position with one of the
United States investigative agencies in order to be considered for a license.
Applicants must contact the Clerk of Courts to make an appointment in front of
a county judge, who will ultimately issue the license. After applicants have
been investigated by a District Attorney and completed all paperwork, an
Allegheny County Judge will issue the private investigator license.
The licensing requirements in Pennsylvania are strict, and
all ICS private investigators are held to even stricter standards as a part of
our mission to provide excellent service above and beyond minimum state
requirements. ICS investigators meet or exceed all industry standards,
providing you with effective and discreet investigative services. When you speak
to an investigator at ICS, you are not just choosing a private investigative
agency; you are also accessing the entire ICS network. If you are in Pittsburgh
but need a private investigation somewhere else in the country or the world,
ICS will keep your case affordable, efficient and effective. ICS services all
of Pennsylvania, including the following areas: Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Erie,
Hershey, Gettysburg, Lancaster, King of Prussia, Norristown, Willow Grove, Wilkesbarre,
Harrisburg, Allentown and more.

Pittsburgh is located in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, and
is the second largest city in the state. Often called the City of Bridges,
Pittsburgh is home to more than 1,600 technology companies, including a Google
campus. Forbes and The Economist have rated Pittsburgh one of America’s “most
livable cities” several times between 2000-2010. Tourist attractions in the
city include football games with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Andy Warhol
Museum, and the Carnegie Museum of Natural History.
Adultery, Infidelity, Cheating Spouse and Unfaithful
Partner Investigations
Being the victim of infidelity is never easy, but if you
suspect your partner is cheating, you deserve to know the truth. ICS can obtain
the proof you need to catch a cheater and protect yourself and your interests
from an unfaithful lover. Some common suspicious behaviors a cheater might
exhibit are:
•
Secretive or excessive computer usage
•
Making efforts to hide their cell phone or
personal finances
•
Working unreasonably long hours or taking last
minute business trips
•
A sudden change in sexual desire, which could
either be an increase or a decrease in sexual appetite
•
You have recently been diagnosed with an STD
•
There is abnormal activity on the home phone such
as hang ups, or frequent hang-ups after a specific number of rings
•
Their wedding ring is missing, and they claim it
was lost or stolen
If your partner is engaging in these or other signs of
cheating, contact ICS to begin an investigation today.
Adultery can play an important role in Pittsburgh divorce
cases. Adultery is not illegal in Pittsburgh, in the sense that neither party
can be sent to jail for carrying out an affair, but proof of an extramarital
affair is grounds for divorce. Pennsylvania is an “at fault” divorce state that
allows for no fault separations. If you are filing an at fault divorce case in
Pittsburgh, call an investigator from ICS to help you get the evidence you will
need to support your adultery claim. A private investigator from ICS can obtain
the proof you need to prove your case to a judge. Judges in Pittsburgh have
significant authority over child support and alimony payments, which is why it
is especially important to go to into your divorce with as much information as
possible. Pennsylvania is an equitable distribution state, so all properties
and debts will be divided equitably, not equally. The judge presiding over the
divorce will determine what constitutes a fair and equitable distribution
depending on the facts provided during the hearing, which is where evidence of
adultery becomes extremely important. Nationally, 53% of marriages end in
divorce, 57% of men and 54% of women admit to cheating in past or current
relationships, and the average affair lasts for 2 years. The state of
Pennsylvania averages about 26,000 divorces a year according to the
Pennsylvania Office of Vital Statistics, with many marriages ending within two
years. If you are going through divorce or are considering applying for a
divorce in Pittsburgh, let ICS help you obtain the information you need to
prove your case.
Even if you aren’t married, an unfaithful partner can cause
incalculable damage in any serious relationship. A private investigation by ICS
can reveal invaluable information about the affair, such as the number of
additional partners being seen and the amount of money being spent on the
affair(s). If your spouse or partner is displaying the common signs of
cheating, an investigation with ICS will answer all these questions and more,
helping to empower you in this difficult time.
Child Custody, Child Visitation and Child Support
Investigations
In child custody cases, the primary concern for all parties
involved is to protect the welfare of the child or children involved. In the
state of Pennsylvania, there are thousands of children affected by divorce and
separations each year. During a divorce or separation, parents often cannot
agree on child custody arrangements themselves. When parents cannot decide
amongst themselves how custody should be divided, a judge will step in and make
the decision, based on the best interests of the children involved. When a
judge determines who will receive custody of a child in Pittsburgh they take
several factors into account, including each parent’s ability to provide a
loving, clean, safe, and stable environment for the child. The terms of the
divorce or separation also factor into a judge’s decision and proof of
infidelity or any form of abuse weigh heavily against the guilty party, and can
even result in an automatic loss of custody rights. If a custody battle ensues
in Pittsburgh, a judge will determine custody after both parents have presented
their case. Judges in Pittsburgh generally prefer to grant joint custody when
possible, but if one (or both) parents file for sole custody the judge will
make their determination based on who is the “better” parent. ICS can help you
obtain the information and facts you need to make a case for child custody. It
can be very difficult for judges and government agencies to determine who is
the better parent, and after custody has been granted it is nearly impossible
for them to keep up with each child’s living conditions. This is why a private
investigation can be so crucial in presenting a clear and precise picture of
each parent’s lifestyle so that a judge can make the best possible decision.
If you feel your child’s best interests are not being met by
your current custody arrangements, or if child support payments aren’t being
made, ICS can help provide the proof you need to take your case in front of a
judge. In the course of the child custody investigation, ICS agents might need
to speak to friends, family, childcare workers, and co-workers to get the
clearest picture of your child’s welfare. At ICS , we will focus on your case,
and have access to be the best tools and resources available to provide a
thorough, discreet and professional investigation. We can solve your case using
surveillance, skip tracing, hidden asset checks, public record searches,
undercover investigations, and much more.
Missing Person and Locate Person Investigations
Traditionally, missing persons cases are handled by local
law enforcement and the FBI, in collaboration with the AMBER Alert system. In
Pittsburgh, local law enforcement is required to file a missing persons report
immediately with the National Crime Information Center, which automatically
enters information about the missing person in the Missing Persons
Clearinghouse. The Clearinghouse is essential in providing information to all
relevant parties, helping to create interdepartmental and cross-county
communication. Pittsburgh police advise you to report a missing person
immediately; waiting 24 hours could be detrimental to their investigation and
is not required by law, as is the case in some other states. There are about 60
missing person cases active at any given time in Pennsylvania, but local law
enforcement agencies are not always able to find these lost or missing people.
Often, laws and regulations that may prevent them from even recognizing an
individual as a Missing Person bind these agencies. Unfortunately, this is
especially true in cases involving missing adults. Many lost person cases
simply fall outside the scope of criminal investigations, for instance, if
you’re searching for a friend or family member with whom you have lost contact.
ICS can help you find someone whether a crime has been committed or not, even
if the police have already attempted to solve the case. According to Rand
McNally, Pittsburgh’s violent crime rate was 2.6 times the national average in
2003, but by 2009 Pittsburgh had been rated the 7th safest city in America.
Even with the city’s improved violent crime rate, it is still crucial to find a
missing person before they become the victim of a violent crime in Pittsburgh.
If you have an unsolved missing person case, or need to locate a lost person in
Pittsburgh ICS can help. If you want to reconnect with a loved one, find your
birth parents or locate a debtor/defrauder, contact ICS to begin your investigation
today.
Pittsburgh Background Checks
If you need a background check performed on an individual
living in Pittsburgh, or if you live in Pittsburgh and need a background check
performed out of state, ICS can help. Background checks are one the most common
and well known tools a Pittsburgh private investigator can provide. Often, a
background check is the only information a client needs. In cases where a more
in-depth investigation is called for, the background check is a great starting
point, providing the investigator and client with valuable leads to pursue. If
you need a Pittsburgh background check, or if you have a case involving one,
ICS is ready to work for you to provide the discreet and confidential service
you need in a delicate and professional manner. ICS has been helping people in
Pittsburgh just like you get results since 1967.
Computer and Cellular Forensics
In an increasingly technological world, it has become more
important-and more difficult-to keep your personal information safe. Part of
keeping your information safe involves knowing who has been accessing your
personal electronic devices, and determining if information has been viewed or
copied. ICS can retrieve and analyze data from electronic storage devices, like
desktop and laptop computers, network servers, external storage drives, flash
drives, digital cameras, smart phones such as the iPhone or Android phones, and
more. All data retrieval methods used by ICS are complaint with all federal and
Pittsburgh state laws, so any data recovered will be available to use as
evidence. In addition to recovering emails, instant messages, and text
messages, ICS also offers virus and spyware detection and removal, pornography
detection, email tracing, computer and network intrusion detection and
prevention, Internet history evaluation, and hidden files detection. Contact
ICS today to ensure that your data and digital devices are safe. ICS can help
protect you from the increasing threat of identity theft.
Technical Surveillance Countermeasures
Technical Surveillance Countermeasures are steps taken to
detect and prevent unwanted surveillance. Technical surveillance often takes
the form of eavesdropping by bugging a house, tapping a phone line, or
installing hidden cameras, with the intention of committing corporate
espionage, privacy invasion, extortion, identity theft, information theft, or
stalking. Being the victim of technical surveillance can endanger your personal
safety, and leaves you vulnerable to potential financial damages. To ensure
that you haven’t fallen prey to technical surveillance, ICS will perform a
technical surveillance countermeasures sweep, which consists of sweeping for
bugs, performing a physical and electronic inspection of the area to check for
infrared, laser, audio recording, hidden cameras, wireless microphones, radio
transmitters, phone taps, GPS tracking, and cell phone interceptors. A technical
surveillance countermeasures sweep is not an investigation in itself, but
rather is a service offered by ICS; if evidence of illegal surveillance is
found, ICS will collaborate with a Pittsburgh private investigator to report
findings and take appropriate action.
Pennsylvania Private Investigator License
The Private Detective Act of 1953, 22 Pa. C.S.A. encompasses the licensing and business of private detectives, security guards, etc. Interested individuals may apply to the Clerk of Courts for a license in the county where they intend to have their primary business office. The county District Attorney is responsible for the enforcement of the provisions of the law. Once you are licensed, you may work anywhere throughout the Commonwealth.
Reference Website:
http://www.lccpa.org/forms/criminal/general/PrivateDetectiveLicenseRequirements-publicweb.pdfContact Information: 8002 Bretz Drive, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States, 17112-9748
Phone: (717)346-4087
Associations:The Pennsylvania Association of Licensed InvestigatorsCitation Statute: Pennsylvania Statutes
Title 22: Detectives
Private Detective Act of 1953
Website:
http://www.pali.org/docs/Pennsylvania_Private_Detective_Act_of_1953.pdfQualifications Requirement: All applicants must be at least twenty-five (25) years of age.
All applicants must meet the following qualifications:
1. A member of the U.S. Government investigative service; or
2. A Sheriff; or
3. A member of the Pennsylvania State Police; or
4. Regularly employed as a detective or as a member of a city police department of a rank or grade higher than that of patrolman for a period of not less than three (3) years.
All applicants must submit with their application the statements of not less than five (5) reputable citizens in accordance with 22 Pa. C.S.A. §14. Any citizen related to the applicant by blood or marriage does NOT qualify. All statements must be notarized.
Any applicant who has been convicted of any FELONY or any of the following offenses fails to qualify for a license:
• Illegal use, carrying or possessing a pistol or other dangerous weapon;
• Making or possessing burglar’s instruments;
• Buying or receiving stolen property;
• Unlawful entry of a building;
• Aiding escape from prison;
• Possessing or delivery of a controlled substance;
• Picking pockets or attempting to do so;
• Soliciting any person to commit sodomy or other lewdness;
• Recklessly endangering another person;
• Making terrorist threats; or
• Committing simple assault.
No applicant who is a holder of an employment agency license may be licensed under this act.
If the applicant will carry a lethal weapon as an incident with employment, proof of a current and valid certification under the “Lethal Weapons Training Act” must also be submitted to the Court.