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Save Date: September 15, 2010......"Steak Out!"
Meeting Archives
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PIC: A Professional Organization With A Half-Century Legacy The Professional Investigators Council of Greater St. Louis, Inc. (PIC), was established in June 1957 after a meeting at the Crown Hotel, St. Louis, MO. The original purpose for the formation of the organization was to provide a private forum in which the members could exchange information on investigative techniques and experiences as an aid to one another. Confidentiality and trust among the members was accorded the highest respect. This concept was clearly evident in these excerpts from an original prospectus to illustrate the objectives of the council. |
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- To determine from its members the investigative methods which have proved to be the most successful by actual test and to make these available to all in the profession.
- To keep its members up to date on changing techniques, conditions and problems and to provide a forum for mutual discussion among its members.
- To conduct meetings at which its members might hear speakers of outstanding achievement discourse on subjects of special or general interest to its members.
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- To promote friendship and cooperation among its members for their common benefit.
- To work for the adherence of all members to high professional standards of conduct in their chosen field.
- To provide an organization within whose framework members may freely exchange information of a confidential nature, enabling each member to discharge his/her duties more efficiently.
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The prospectus also stated, "It has been the policy of the Board of Directors that everything should be done to prevent the council from becoming a social organization as such. In like manner, the council has not become involved actively in the sponsorship of legislation of any character, as we are aware of some evils attendant on the position of that type." |
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Conditions and times have changed over the past 50 years. The organization has also evolved. The original council of 17 has now grown to over 150 members. Private investigators, once barred from membership, are now active participating members. Training academies, seminars, workshops, and conferences have all contributed toward the education and profession of the investigator. Science and technology available to the investigator today was unheard of 50 years ago. Liaison between public, corporate and private investigators is an open reality.
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Once parochial sentiments between federal, state, county and municipal law enforcement agencies have blended into a spirit of cooperation. This cooperative spirit has also extended into the judicial system of the courts. Some examples are the crime labs, forensic science, computers, citizens against crime, court watchers, neighborhood watch programs and other community crime prevention and awareness programs.
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Save Date: September 15, 2010......"Steak Out!"
See Calendar |
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Is Something Missing In Your Career? Experience is a valuable investigative tool. When you've "been there, done that" it's much easier to visualize the possibilities and get to the answer much sooner. Imagine if you had the experience of dozens of other area investigators at your disposal. How valuable would that be? As a member of the Professional Investigators Council of Saint Louis (PIC), you'll have that - and more. Apply today.
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Meeting Archives
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In Sympathy The officers and members of the Professional Investigators Council of Greater St. Louis extend their deepest sympathy to Gene Keller on the passing of his wife, Ruth. A memorial service was held on May 2, 2010 at 4PM at Lutheran Church of the Living Christ in Florissant, MO. In honor of Ruth's memory the family requests taking a friend to lunch or donations to the American Cancer Society or the American Heart Association |
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Our Meeting of May 19, 2010 - Who Dunnit? |
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Not So True Crimes: Confessions of a Mystery Writer
Our guest Joanna Campbell Slan is a woman with murder on her mind…as long as it happens on paper. As the author of the Kiki Lowenstein Mystery Series, she admits to committing a crime or two, but only between the pages of her books.
“Fortunately, when you write a mystery, you work backwards,” says Slan. “Well, I do at least. So the puzzle is easy to construct…except sometimes. On occasion, the truth is a bit inconvenient.”
To help her get her facts right, Joanna is one of the many mystery authors who rely on friends in law enforcement to double-check her details. “I keep a stash of business cards at hand. I hate the idea that I’m using anyone’s valuable time, so I try to use email for questions. Even so, sometimes it will take a phone call to a friend in the business to figure out what it is I don’t know,” she explains.
Slan’s interest in getting things right led her to be a co-founder of Forensic University of St. Louis. The event brought in law enforcement and forensic experts from around the country who spoke to an eager crowd of authors.
“We also arranged to spend time at a local shooting gallery. That was funny. Here were women who had ‘killed’ hundreds of people on paper but never held a gun. I’ve got great photos from the event,” says Slan.
She not only talks to law enforcement authorities for accuracy, she also makes site visits. “In the first book in my series, I visited the St. Louis County Jail. Thank goodness, I had done my homework because my editor had a few questions, and I was able to assure her I had actually been to the jail myself.”
Even though Slan’s a stickler for details, she admits her books do not go strictly by the book. She explains, “Every mystery that features an amateur sleuth starts with a premise that’s inaccurate. The idea that an amateur could keep up with a professional is silly. But I’m not writing true crime. I’m writing entertainment.” |
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Joanna Campbell Slan is the author of the Kiki Lowenstein Mystery Series. The first book in the series—Paper, Scissors, Death—was nominated for an Agatha Award. The third book—Photo, Snap, Shot—will be released in May, 2010. A former St. Louis resident, Joanna and her husband now live outside Washington DC.
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Our Meeting of March 17, 2010 - Youth Violence and Gangs We were honored to welcome as our guest speaker, Dr. Finn-Aage Esbensen, the E. Desmond Lee Professor of Youth Crime and Violence in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. He received his B.A. and M.A. degrees from Tufts University. His Ph.D. (Sociology, 1982) was awarded by the University of Colorado, Boulder.
His research has covered a broad spectrum of methodologies and topics from participant observation in a county jail to conducting longitudinal national surveys of adolescents. Throughout his career, he has been interested in the nexus between research and policy, working on both evaluation and basic research projects. He is currently the Principal Investigator on two multi-site evaluations of school-based prevention programs and serves as the current Chair of his department.
Dr Finn Esbensen |
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Our Meeting of January 20, 2010
Missouri officials are reminding private investigators, consumers, attorneys, law enforcement and others that State law will require PIs to be licensed, commencing with the acceptance of applications starting as of February 1, 2010. This meeting addressed requirements under the new law and regulations for enforcement. Our guest presenter, Mr. Francis M. "Chris" Rey, a member of the Missouri Board of Private Investigator Examiners, has worked toward this milestone for the past 13 years. The interaction was lively and got the New Year off to a terrific start. Many thanks to Mr. Rey and to all who attended.
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Our Meeting of November 18, 2009 - AUSA Howard Marcus Our speaker for the evening was Assistant United States Attorney Howard Marcus on the topic of "The Changing Role of the Justice Department in a Post-9/11 World". Mr. Marcus' presentation described many of the roles and responsibilities of AUSA's and more specifically his mission within ATAC in the Eastern District of Missouri. |
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You may contact PIC at the address below:
Professional Investigators Council of Greater St. Louis, Inc.
PO Box 50115
Saint Louis, MO 63105
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