By Watson Holmes
Special to Inside
In the often-parodied scene from the movie "A Few Good Men," Jack Nicholson's character sneers, "You can't handle the truth!" "It's a great line but in my experience, not very accurate," counters Scott Lazzara, a private investigator in Lincoln Park. "From what I've seen, most people actually handle the truth pretty well—once they know what it is. It's not always what they want to hear, especially when it involves a broken trust. But it's what they need to hear. So getting the truth is important. That's why people hire me—to find out, for sure, once and for all."
"I know by the time people work up the nerve to call me, they've reached their limit. They have doubts or suspicions about someone and not knowing the truth makes them crazy. They've usually put themselves through the wringer with all their wondering and worrying. Some can't eat, can't sleep. Imaginations run wild," Lazzara says.
"But once we get them all the facts, once they know the truth, they often feel a big sense of relief. The uncertainty is gone, they can deal with reality and get on with their lives. So in the end, the phone call they make to me is worth it."
According to Lazzara, callers' emotions range from nervous to nasty, victimized to vindictive. "Their emotions are raw. I feel for them. But they don't need my compassion. What they need is my objectivity. That's the whole purpose of a background check or licensed investigation. Discover the facts, the truth."
Uncovering the truth may require looking into someone's background to verify—or disprove—what they've claimed. Sometimes it means doing a trace to locate a person. And when surveillance is needed to observe a person's activities, it must be discreet.
"I think some people are a little disappointed when I tell them it's not like action movies or cheesy TV shows. We don't break down doors, or have cameras with blinding flashes. We don't race around in dangerous car chases, tap phones or confront people in parking lots. In reality, it can be very tedious and time consuming and, frankly, that means it's not cheap, either," Lazzara added.
So why not save yourself the money and do the investigation yourself? After all, there's a wealth of information available on the Internet. Some of it's free, some for a fee. There's even software touted as a way to "find out anything about anybody." Or maybe you think you're pretty handy with a camcorder.
Lazzara cautions people about "do-it-yourself investigations" for three reasons. "First of all, when it comes to the Internet, you can waste hour after hour and pile up credit card charges and still not get information that's available to a licensed investigator. And as far as the software goes, well, most of it doesn't go very far. Usually, all you're getting is a glitzy package of links to information that is public record already.
"Secondly, there are complex legal and liability issues. Investigators have to be licensed in Illinois. The laws about what investigators can and cannot do are the most stringent in the country and strictly enforced. Plus, in cases that may have criminal ramifications such as fraud or embezzlement, there are rules about evidence that must be followed.
"Thirdly, a professional investigation requires emotional detachment. Honestly, how detached are you going to be when your personal or business relationship is at stake?
"When you hire a private investigator, the real value will come from their objectivity, experience, ethics, persistence, attention to detail, sound judgment, resourcefulness, speed and discretion. Those things don't make us Boy Scouts, just good at getting to the truth.
"Once people find out the truth, they either find peace of mind or they can protect themselves. Either way, they seem to get on with their lives. I think that's probably very healthy," Lazzara says.
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Scott Lazzara is an investigator with Eagle Investigations and Security, Inc., a licensed Chicago-area detective agency. He also matches clients to investigators by area or specialty and provides background searches called RealityChecks3SM. Lazzara can be reached at (773) 868-9302. |
