Gumshoe Detective Agency

05/27/2026

One load of stolen cargo from Red Bluff recovered. And "the truck it rode in on". Courtesy of the Gumshoes.

05/21/2026

05/17/2026

Even today, we notify local law enforcement of our surveillances in most cases.

04/28/2026

The Mike Wallace interview with famous P.I. Fred Otash.
https://hrc.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p15878coll90/id/25/
Fred Otash, The Fred Otash Detective Bureau, bugged the homes of Marilyn Monroe and purportedly recorded her and Bobby Kennedy and her subsequent death; as well as the home of many Hollywood Stars, on behalf of the motion picture companies, the Mob and the White House.

04/04/2026

NEW EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT!

04/03/2026

1930s Los Angeles

01/27/2026

WE DO SKIP TRACING...REAL SKIP TRACING

We utilize some very sophisticated databases that we subscribe to in order to provide you with the finest Skip Tracing possible.

Don't waste your time using publicly available internet searches; Its amazing how many people think they know how to Skip Trace but they really don't.

We have an outstanding locate rate because we use very up-to-date information and some specialty searches including databases not available to the public.

Just like with our Backgrounds, we personalize the skip trace based upon what you can tell us about the person's work, family, leisure time, associates, spouse, etc. Of course if someone truly wants to hide there are ways to do so to fool the systems, but 99% of the time they are not taking those steps and if they do, they slip up and reveal their location in one way that allows us to locate them. And yes, there will be times when the most current information available, you may know to be outdated so we may have to wait for the various databases to be updated (usually once per quarter) and we try again. But we have outstanding success with our skip tracing tools for Attorneys and Private Parties.

01/23/2026

"BUG SWEEPS"

If your Client is suspecting their house or office may be "bugged", we have the equipment to check for both wired and wireless transmitters and cameras, as well as GPS trackers in their vehicles. We can also check landlines for "parasitic devices" on the line, a tell-tale sign of an unwanted recording device on the line. (The telephone company will only check the line up to the house or office; WE check the inside lines that the telephone company will not check)

While much of that equipment is available for sale to anyone, and they may be wanting to do the "sweep" themselves, they shouldn't attempt it for two reasons:

They really don't know HOW to use the equipment properly and effectively; and how to tell the difference between "suspicious" vs. "spurious" readings which can be very misleading if they don't know how to interpret them.

Much of the equipment available commercially are cheap foreign knock-offs designed primarily to take their money, have limited search ranges, and are NOT effective, resulting in the Client's false peace of mind.

We also have the experience and have been doing these for Clients for 24 years and have found transmitters right in plain view of their daily lives.

Part of our post-sweep consultation with the Client includes other sources for their being tracked and monitored.

01/23/2026

CIVIL STAND-BYS

Many times, law enforcement is not available to do Civil Stand-Bys for property removal or to remove a child after violation of a Court Order, etc because its a "civil issue" and the Department is too busy to assign an Officer or a Deputy for a Civil Stand-By. This is particularly true with larger Departments but even smaller Departments many times just don't have the manpower to take someone off the beat and out of "in-view patrol" to tie them up for a civil stand-by.

We do Civil Stand-Bys, often with two Investigators due to the sometimes unpredictable nature of these stand-bys which can include confrontations.

Our Civil Stand-Bys can be either Overt where we are in plain view, clearly identified, equipped with video cameras, or Covert where we are not easily seen but we obtain video documentation for later use if needed. And even in a Covert Civil Stand-By we are ready to call the local law enforcement agency if needed. Many times we have already notified them of the Civil Stand-By beforehand anyway.

Sometimes the Client will want us to es**rt them into the house and video the contents and condition of everything for later use in Court.

If your Client cannot get law enforcement, contact us for your Clients' Civil Stand-By so they are safe and have peace-of-mind as well as for evidentiary purposes.

01/19/2026

WE ARE SURVEILLANCE SPECIALISTS AND HAVE BEEN FOR 25 YEARS!

Do you have an ex who says they aren't working but you believe they are?

Or IS working but says they're not?

Or says they can't pay child or spousal support because they are broke?

Or insists on visitation but then leaves the child(ren) with other people while they go party?

Or who's drinking when they're not supposed to be?

Or has a roommate that shouldn't be around kids?

Or is claiming an injury and can't work?

You would be surprised what we can learn through legal and covert surveillance such as proof of cohabitation, proof of working or not working, proof of child endangerment or abandonment, violation of court orders, criminal activity and much more.

We use up to two or more Investigators on a tail and sometimes in shifts so the target doesn't see the same vehicles all the time. We use law enforcement proven techniques to remain covert while ensuring success. We use two-way radios with mountain-top repeaters for quicker on-the-spot communication without having to relay on cell phones which may or may not have a signal and have a delay.

If needed we can use our surveillance Thermal Drone with Ultra HD 4k video and FLIR (Forward Looking InfraRed) to be even more covert or for when the target goes into an area where ground units cannot follow (gated communities, storage facilities, rural properties, etc). We can look for "hot spots" such as grow houses, persons, warm vehicle engines and even read license plates from altitude in public use airspace per FAA Part 107.

Don't use a GPS tracker to track a person. They are illegal in California without the registered owner's permission. (PC 637.7). Q: So why do stores sell them? A: 'because people will buy them.

We know people lie. But through surveillance we can learn the truth.
Let them lie but let us find the truth.