Suspicious of a loved one? Looking to track down your long lost sibling? Have a hunch Elvis might be your next door neighbor? Doug Pearson of Act Now Investigations is a Kansas City Private Investigator with over 20 years experience in the field of licensed private investigation. He has been honing his skills in a wide variety of issues ranging from infidelity to missing persons. We caught up with him in his quite office secluded in southern Overland Park industrial area to discuss just what it is he does.
(Interview 09/03/13 – Weather Kansas City 74 Degrees & Sunny)
Ben: Good morning folks, it’s Ben Hartman here with Kansascity.bloggerlocal.com. We are here with Doug Pearson of Act Now Investigations. We are finding out a little bit about some of the licensed private investigation work he does and the business he runs. Doug, if you could tell us just a bit about your business and then tell us how you got started in the private investigative field?
Doug: I graduated from the University of Nebraska back in 1985 when most of the social media technology and computers did not exist at all. The main focus at that time was inquiring and obtaining information from local court houses and government agencies through public record information. I first started out working for a law firm. At that time after I graduated and my first big opportunity was locating a lady that lived on the streets that had a little problem with excess drinking and basically would hangout at one of the local bars downtown.
Ben: Interesting. What are some of the services you offer today for customers?
Doug: I do anything that is associated with assisting individuals with a family issue. It can be anything from infidelity, to child custody, to interacting and locating old or current family members and or friends, anything that is potentially beneficial to assist in a family dynamic.
Ben: Okay, and then for some people out there that might be curious about your services. What is a licensed private investigator? How does that work? Is there a state board that issues licenses?
Doug: The State of Kansas and the State of Missouri each have separate departments. Kansas is through the attorney general and you have a background check, you have liability insurance requirements and you have fees and then you obtain a license that is good for every two years. You can see mine on the wall over there, and Missouri is through the Department of Professional Registration and it’s slightly different but it’s basically the same criteria for becoming a license also and so since you are right here on the Kansas, Missouri line, it’s a good idea to have both.
Ben: Yeah, because you’ll definitely be across and back and forth.
Doug: Exactly.
Ben: That’s good. I just wondered if there was some sort of regulatory body and that you weren’t just some shadowy man in a shadowy office.
Doug: No, it’s regulated pretty heavy.
Ben: Okay, so what are some of the things that changed in the last 20 years or so with the increase in digital technology that is available?
Doug: It’s really become more difficult for the investigator I think rather than a positive from the standpoint of … that the average consumer can log on to various websites and believe that they can find out or inquire or obtain anything that they want to know. This day and age you Google something and boom, you just expect within a couple of minutes to have the answer to whatever you want to know, everything from … you ought to look for insects to where your husband might be, so that it’s the access to information has become so simple that it just … that’s the main thing in terms of access to information.
Ben: You still have to do the field work though.
Doug: The good part about it is there is always a certain areas that you absolutely need of an eye or a vision on a particular person to be able to tell what they are doing and what they are saying and where they are.
Ben: Awesome. Have you had any amazing outcomes from some of the investigating you have done?
Doug: Sure. It’s always rewarding and some anxiety to realize that what a particular spouse or my client might be inquiring about and have the reality of that come true and make it understand that this really does happen and it make … there is a huge satisfaction there in helping people out, get some resolution.
Ben: Exactly.
Doug: Peace of mind, direction, closure or disclosure, depending on whatever you want, however you want to look at it.
Ben: It just depends what side of the spectrum you are on.
Doug: All right.
Ben: Awesome. Doug, it’s definitely interesting to learn about the private investigative world. We will definitely check back in with you here at
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