Patrick Wells isn't intimidated by discreet techno-gadgets or the sophistication of the private investigation industry's up-and-comers in computer forensics.
The former Drug Enforcement Administration agent, with sideburns that stretch to his cheekbones, has a good-natured Tennessee twang and a bald eagle on his business card.
His technology includes a laptop computer and a tape recorder.
"They call it the ol' gumshoe," Wells, 61, said. "You've just got to pound the pavement. No amount of technology is a substitute for knocking on doors and putting in the legwork."
When a cop retires from the force, he never really stops being an officer. So many, like Wells, become private investigators.
In Davidson County, there are 70 private detectives who work for 135 firms, according to the state Department of Commerce and Insurance, which provides licensing to private investigators. There are 1,162 private investigators statewide, who work for 635 agencies.Read more here and follow us on Twitter!
