The Witness Protection Program is often a source of content for films and is often used as imagery for when someone wants to escape for a while. In reality, very little is known about this secretive program which is exactly why it's so successful. Witness protection "provides 24-hour protection to all witnesses while they are in a high-threat environment; witnesses receive financial assistance for housing and subsistence for basic living expenses and medical care; the program also provides for job training and employment assistance," according to an article in CNN.

Often times the people in the program were witnesses who eventually testified against very dangerous individuals.The article also states that it's common for those in the Witness Protection Program to not be "upstanding members of society." For example, while the "businessmen" in the program may have had legitimate jobs, perhaps they were bribing others.

Going into the program is completley voluntary, but should you choose to go, you often don't have much choice where you'll end up. The government asks where your family is located and where you've always wanted to go. Whatever you answer usually means you won't be going there. Those are places your enemy would think to look so therefore, it isn't safe.

For people who have taken or are taking an online private investigator course, you know having someone in this program makes them nearly impossible to track down. This being said, do you think this program is beneficial or does it make a private investigator's job harder?

Check out Ashworth College's online private investigator course to find out more

It's a widely known fact that those who donate money to the campaign funds of presidential hopefuls are rarely left with nothing in return.  Usually it's a seat at a nice dinner or a thank-you card from the candidate himself.  One wealthy benefactor has spilled secrets of what Republican candidate Mitt Romney is gifting his donors with and while this person isn't working in private investigation careers, they are letting the world in on some secrets. 

The "Romney Victory Council", a group of elite donors to the Romney campaign, met for a two-hour lunch before last week's Republican Convention. They also dined with Condoleeza Rice and attended an appreciation reception located on the Cracker Bay Yacht.  These perks are not widely publicized, but they are benefits for those who can financially back the candidate they see most fit to run the country. 

According to ABC News, "in a presidential campaign where the contenders will combine to raise well over $1 billion, the techniques for rewarding top donors with titles and attention have been carefully honed -- with the rewarding of special monikers, briefings from campaign insiders, and exclusive retreats all part of every campaign's playbook."

What do you think of this?

In 2002, Wanetta Gibson told authorities that Brian Banks, a talented Long Beach football player who was given a football scholarship to USC, raped her and because of that, Brian spent 6 years in jail, had to register as a sex offender, and lost his football career.  Brian always maintained his innocence and a man in private investigator careers, Freddie Parish, always believed him.  Freddie had the idea to get Wanetta to confess that this whole story was made up and that Brian was always truly innocent.

She agreed to an interview with both Brian and Freddie and was asked the hard questions. 

Parish: “Did he rape you?”

Gibson: “No, he did not rape me.”

Parish: “Did he kidnap you?”

Gibson: “No.”

With that video, Brian was able to have his name cleared and get a second shot at football.

What do you think of this story?

Smart phones seemed to get a whole lot smarter when Siri came along onto the phone scene, but it turns out that Siri may be a private investigator.  Some companies, noteably IBM, have taken to ban the use of Siri in their offices because all thing Siri hears is recorded and sent to Apple.  Even in Apple's licensing agreement it says, "When you use Siri or Dictation, the things you say will be recorded and sent to Apple in order to convert what you say into text."

As for how long your information is stored, the company won't say.  The do say that by using the voice dictation feature, you're automatically agreeing to Apple's terms and conditions.  Also, by allowing Siri to use your current location, you're also letting Apple get a glimpse of your personal life.

As someone in private investigator school, do you think Siri is a mini private investigator?

Private eye's can't just watch something happen, they often need proof.  A picture says a thousand words so it's typically the proof of choice for someone in private investigation careers.  When you are working in surveillance photography, you need to be sure your pictures are clear and in focus, because if not, the contents of the photo can be disputed and misconstrued.  Here are some other tips.

• Legally you can hide the camera, but you can only videotape with a hidden camera in a public place.  If the person you're taping is in public view, you don't have to notify them you're taping them however, if they're in a private setting, legally you have to tell them which defies the entire premise of covert photography.

• Position is everything.  You need to be in a place where you can clearly see everything but you're not visible to the person you're shooting.  Being a bit of a distance away and having a strong focus and lens is better than being so close they know you're there.

• Feel free to wear a disguise.  If there is a remote possibility of the subject being able to recognize you, then it may be in your best interest, both safety wise and for integrity's sake, to wear some kind of costume.  We're not saying do anything cheesy or drastic, even a hat and sunglasses may help.

• When you do take your picture, focus on any identifying things that could help ensure that's the right person.  Tattoos and birthmarks are great.  Also, any clothing items that may be of interest like jewelry or a briefcase, would be helpful.

What other tips do you have?

When working in private investigator careers or simply protecting your home, installing security cameras is a great way to keep tabs on others.  There are a variety of types of security cameras for your home and some allow you to operate and check them from a remote location; perfect for private investigators. If you do decide to install a camera, here are some steps from eHow to help you.

1. Find a location that offers the best unobstructed view of the area you want surveyed. Ceilings, the top corners where walls join and and any place that is high and allows for easy mounting of the camera is ideal. Since the camera requires a power source, any place that also offers easy access to an outlet is a bonus.
2. Mount the surveillance camera. Hold the mounting bracket on the location's surface and mark the spots to drill the holes. Drill the holes and insert the plastic anchors inside. Screw the bracket to the surface and attach the camera. Run the power cable to the closest power outlet.
3. Run the networking cable from the camera to your security system's recording device, if it is a wired camera. Make sure both ends of the cable are securely attached and the camera is powered on. Open your security system software. If the cable is correctly attached, you will see a picture.
4. Turn on the camera and open the security software to activate it. Your camera's Internet Protocol (IP) address will be displayed in a text box. Click the box to activate the camera on your system. The camera will relay a picture back to the system once it is correctly activated.
5. Focus the surveillance camera. Get another person to help you with this step. One person can set the focus, while the other checks the result on the system. Turn the focusing ring on the camera until a clear picture is seen. Move it as far as the bracket will allow to get as much of the room in the picture as possible.
6. Test and fine tune the camera. Click the record button on your security system and let it run for a half-hour. Run playback to make sure the system is recording video from the camera properly. Use the security system control panel to further adjust the clarity of the recorded video.

The now defunct British tabloid News Of The World did a lot of sneaky techniques to get the inside scoop for their stories.  The paper hired private investigators to participate in wire tapping, eavesdropping, and tailing their subjects.  Those subjects were American celebrities like Angelina Jolie, British sports stars like David Beckham, and even the royal family.  One private investigator who formerly worked for the NOTW Royal Editor spills his information about how, and why, he tailed the Prince.

Derek Webb says the fact that he never got caught shows how good he is at his job.   He recalls that on one occasion, "Prince William came out with Kate, followed by the royal protection vehicle... I followed the royal protection vehicle knowing full well they were in front."  It wasn't just the royal family Webb was tailing.  He recalls following Prince Harry's on-and-off again girlfriend Chelsea Davy on several occasions. 

Most importantly, he shared the information he had to gather.  "I never knew when I would be required... They phoned me up by the day or by the night. It could be anywhere in the country," he said.  "Basically I would write down what they were wearing at the time, what car they were in, who they met, the location they met, the times - the times were very important - and I would keep that."

Do you think private investigation, when done for a newspaper, is sneaky or part of the job?

Private investigating typically involves a client calling to find out what someone they know is truly up to or uncover the truth about a certian situation.  But what if the client calls to find out more about a person or thing they don't know?  There are a group of private investigators that look for more than just clues about where a person has been.  These PIs find out if the person is even here at all because these private eyes are paranormal private investigators. 

Better known as paranormal investigators, these special PIs look to see if a place is haunted and if so, by whom.  Does this sound interesting to you?  eHow tells you how you can join this field.

1. Do your homework. Read everything you can on ghosts, poltergeists, UFO sightings and any other kind of paranormal activity. Study the investigations of these phenomena to get a sense of how paranormal investigators approach their work. Learn the lingo and the different types of paranormal activity that may be encountered in an investigation.
2. Join a local paranormal investigation group. Check out The Shadowlands website or the Ghostvillage website for information on groups in your area. If there are no groups in your area, consider attending a conference out of town or even starting your own group.
3. Take a class. Many organizations now offer courses in paranormal investigation. Flamel College and the International Ghost Hunters Society both offer courses you can complete from the comfort of your own home.
4. Invest in some equipment. At a minimum, a respectable paranormal investigator needs a camera, a notebook, a tape recording device and a flashlight. More experienced paranormal investigators invest in EMF detectors or meters which pick up disturbances in electric and magnetic fields.
5. Start investigating. Go to a site where paranormal activity has been witnessed or recorded and have some fun. Use the techniques you learned from your books or class and perform your own investigation. The best way to become a paranormal investigator is through real life experience.

Would you want to do this?