As a private investigator in Knoxville, we are often tasked with carrying out surveillance work in a variety of situations. Sometimes, a parent is concerned about what their nanny does when they are alone with their children. An individual may believe their spouse is being unfaithful. We even offer surveillance as part of custody disputes, workers' compensation claims, and more. However, one thing that many of these surveillance requests have in common is that the client feels some degree of guilt for spying on their loved ones, friends, or colleagues. So, let's talk about handling the guilt of employing a private investigator in Knoxville to gather evidence on your behalf.
Why Do You Feel Conflicted?
The first step is to ask yourself why you are feeling conflicted. For most people, it is because they are putting themselves in the target's shoes and considering how they would feel if someone were spying on them! That is a legitimate concern to have; however, it is important to understand that you are putting yourself in that position as an innocent party who has done nothing wrong and has someone spying on you. If you have gotten to the point of working with a private investigator in Knoxville, the chances are that you have a strong belief that your surveillance target is engaging in unethical behavior. You are not 'spying' on them for no reason - you believe they are guilty, and surveillance is going to get you the proof you need to move forward. You may need to make peace with that if you want to know the truth. One way to help alleviate this feeling of guilt is to think about the words you use. Let's drop the word spying completely. It's called surveillance. Most agree that's a much more palatable word to use!
But What If I Am Wrong?
Another concern we hear from clients as private investigators in Knoxville is what happens if they are wrong and their partner or employee has not actually done anything wrong. Let's take cheating as an example. According to research, when women suspect their husbands of infidelity, their instincts are correct about 85% of the time. That's quite an overwhelming majority, so there is a good chance that as a woman, if you are concerned enough to hire a private investigator in Knoxville to carry out surveillance, you will likely be correct in your suspicions. Unfortunately, men don't have the same success rate. Statistically, only 50% of suspicious husbands are correct when they accuse their wives of infidelity. This suggests that men need to spend a little more time weighing up their decisions before making an accusation of adultery. In this case, hiring a private investigator in Knoxville could provide much-needed information to help get a clearer picture before engaging in a confrontation.
It's also worth noting that if you hire a private investigator in Knoxville for surveillance and they find no evidence of wrongdoing, their contract is with you, and everything they report is confidential. If there is no wrongdoing, you are not under any obligation to reveal your actions if you prefer not to. Your mind can be put to rest, and everything is as it should be. Nobody needs to know that you were suspicious in the first place.
Is PI Surveillance An Invasion of Privacy?
You have probably never had to use a private investigator in Knoxville before; it's not something that the average person does on a daily basis! It's natural that you might have some concerns, such as whether or not surveillance is an invasion of privacy. This is where it is important to understand what a private investigator in Knoxville can and cannot do. PIs are bound by the same laws as everyone else, and the information they obtain for you must be collected legally. For example, they can photograph or video an individual in public places, such as entering or leaving a motel or playing soccer in the park, but they cannot illegally record them inside private property, such as an apartment where the individual has a reasonable expectation of privacy. They are also not permitted to wiretap phones or hack email accounts. Tennessee is a one-part consent state, meaning a private investigator in Knoxville can only record a conversation with at least one participant's consent. For example, if they approach their target and speak directly to them, they can record the conversation, but they cannot record a conversation that they are simply overhearing. As long as your private investigator works within the confines of the law, they are not legally invading anyone's privacy. You may have personal moral objections that you may need to make peace with before heading down this route, but in terms of legality, you have nothing to be worried about.
Uncover the truth!
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Ken Shull served as a Special Agent with the FBI for almost 25 years and was head of the FBI Polygraph program until his retirement in 2001. At that time he set up the Kendall Investigations practice as a private investigator in Knoxville, TN offering Polygraph services, private investigations, and security guards. Ken is a member of the American Polygraph Association and The American Association of Police Polygraphists.
The Truth is Still the Truth Even if No One Believes it, A Lie is Still a Lie Even if Everyone Believes it.