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Joe Gordon is an Arizona licensed Private Investigator, a former federal agent and a former Georgia state trooper decorated for valor. Joe Gordon has more than 36 years of law enforcement experience. Joe is now the owner and managing Private Investigator of Veritas Associates a Phoenix Metro area, Arizona licensed private investigation agency.

Joe has a professional blog about his PI experiences at gordonpi.wordpress.com.

Joe conducts work as a private investigator in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe, Chandler, Mesa and Gilbert.

In 1977, then Sergeant Joe Gordon was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army after having served three years as a military policeman and criminal investigator. Joe Gordon was awarded the Army Commendation medal specifically for the high quality and consistent success of his work as a criminal investigator. The accompanying narrative with the medal cited the incredible clearance rate Mr. Gordon had as an investigator and the many important cases he solved.

In 1986, in Atlanta, Georgia, Trooper Joe Gordon of the Georgia State Patrol (GSP) was wounded in a shootout with an escapee from the California state prison system named Cornell McLeod. Trooper Gordon was wounded and killed McLeod with his return fire. At the time of the incident Trooper Gordon was attempting to search McLeod whom he suspected as being the suspect who had wrecked and run from a stolen car just minutes before. Trooper Gordon received the Georgia State Patrol Medal of Valor in 1986.

In 1986 Mr. Gordon graduated from Georgia State University with a Masters degree in Public and Urban Affairs. In 1987 Mr. Gordon became a special agent with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, best known as ATF. Joe Gordon served with honor as a special agent in Macon and Atlanta, Georgia and as an ATF supervisory special agent in Colorado Springs, CO, Washington, DC and Phoenix, AZ. Joe Gordon retired from federal service in 2007.

From 1993-1997 Joe Gordon became the first Resident Agent in Charge of the newly opened ATF field office in Colorado Springs, CO. During this period Joe Gordon directed many major criminal investigations that resulted in the conviction and imprisonment of more than 200 violent criminals in only four years. During this assignment Joe Gordon was responsible for the identification, arrest and conviction of violent gang members, murderers, drug and gun traffickers and bombers.

From 1999-2007 Joe Gordon served as the Assistant Special Agent in Charge, for the ATF field division headquartered in Phoenix, AZ. In 2006 Joe Gordon, leading a special ATF task force, was commended by the Mayor of Phoenix and the U.S. Justice Department Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee for his supervisory excellence during the search for and capture of Dale Hausner and Samuel Dietman, two serial killers known as the “Phoenix Serial Shooters” and the “Phoenix Random Shooters”.

Joe was the private investigator for Sgt. Tom Lovejoy of the Chandler Police Department in connection with Sgt. Lovejoy’s recent acquittal of unwarranted charges in the San Tan Justice Court.

In 2007 Joe Gordon formed Veritas Associates LLC, a Arizona licensed private investigation agency which he continues to operate.

Most people are shopping “in the blind” when seeking the services of a private investigator. The PI firms that show up on page one of a “Google search” have paid a lot of money to be there but this is not an indicator of their ethics or competence. The best way to find any service provider is by referral from a trusted person who recommends someone they have used and been pleased with. However, not a lot of people have used a PI in the past and few will admit it if they have. So here are some tips as you carry out your search.

An ethical phoenix private investigation firm will openly offer a “no charge” initial consultation with you. The consultation doesn’t have to be in person but that is recommended. You need to get a feel for the kind of people to whom you are entrusting a sensitive personal issue. I prefer to consult in person with a potential client because I want to be sure the client is also being forthright with me. For you and for me people who don’t want to meet in person and look you in the eye should not be trusted. Once the PI has met with you there should not be a push made for you to use their services. If so there is a problem. If they are confident in their ability and feel their fees are fair they should be happy for you to shop around.

During a consultation ask questions and expect to answer them too. A competent PI should ask you a lot of questions too. PIs that want to talk about payment plans and get your credit card number while you still have many questions left to ask are not the ones you want to use. During your preliminary contact or consultation with a potential PI be ready to ask a lot of questions. If they are going to work for you then consider this their job interview. Another very important question to ask regards the training and experience of the prospective PI. Is this person and/or his team a law enforcement veteran or was a PI license obtained after taking an Internet course? Be sure to ask about this. There is no substitute for formalized training and experience. My firm is an accredited business of the Better Business Bureau so obviously I would encourage you to check there before hiring anyone.

One of the first questions every client asks is “what will this cost?” The question can sometimes be answered directly with a total dollar amount but most frequently usually we must quote our hourly rate and rate for mileage and estimate a probable total. What a client will reimburse for expenses accrued in the investigation should be established up front and not be exceeded without client permission. I charge dollar for dollar on expenses meaning I make no profit for my expenses but break even. Some PIs add on to their costs so they can make a few extra bucks. You should ask. Sometimes you can negotiate a “flat rate” for a limited and specific service such as service of legal process.

I do not start a case until the client has completed a Contract for Services. You should be suspect of a firm that does not use one. The contract spells out the goal of the investigation, the costs the client has agreed to and the amount of the retainer that’s required to begin the investigation. The contract also spells out the caveat that I will not operate outside ethical or legal guidelines for any reason and states I will terminate the contract if the client asks me to break the law.

You should have a commitment up front from the Phoenix PI as to when you will receive progress reports both verbal and/or written. You should receive a detailed written report of all activity and steps that were taken and what was learned no less than every 30 days while the case is active. Verbal reports should come no less than every week, and more often in some cases.

At the end of the case you should receive a detailed invoice as to how your funds were used. In Arizona all private investigators must be licensed by the Arizona Department of Public Safety. Persons who have suffered a financial loss due to the actions of unethical or incompetent private investigators may file a complaint with DPS and also file for a financial reimbursement from the state of up to $5000.

By Statute, a phoenix private investigator is not a law enforcement official. That means that while your detective may build the case, and cooperate closely with officials in investigatory and legal proceedings, Arizona private detectives are not themselves able to enforce the law. For this reason, working with detectives that have close ties with law enforcement is beneficial for the customers.

Arizona law also dictates confidentiality between the investigator and the client. This confidentiality is subject to subpoena, but is protected until that point. The Arizona Revised Statutes also clearly delineate the responsibilities of the gumshoe to his clients. A fiduciary duty exists, and the detective works on behalf of his client in all matter. The investigator is required to perform to the best of his abilities and in the best interests of his clients, within the confines of the law.