Good Neighbor Podcast South Charlotte
Bringing Together Local Businesses and Neighbors of South Charlotte.
Good Neighbor Podcast South Charlotte
Ep # 139 Behind the Badge: From Police Officer to Private Investigator
What happens when a 28-year veteran police detective retires only to discover that civilian life isn't quite what he expected? For Tom Geisler, the answer was to launch Blue Chameleon Investigations, transforming his law enforcement expertise into a thriving private investigation firm now employing 14 people.
Tom takes us behind the scenes of modern private investigation work, shattering stereotypes about what PIs actually do. While infidelity cases remain common, his team handles everything from corporate fraud and workplace misconduct to cybersecurity threats and digital forensics. The conversation reveals how technology has transformed the field, creating both new challenges and sophisticated investigative techniques.
Perhaps most eye-opening is Tom's insight into online dating scams that target vulnerable older adults. These elaborate schemes can cost victims hundreds of thousands of dollars when scammers manipulate emotions and exploit trust. Blue Chameleon regularly conducts background checks for cautious daters, potentially saving them from both financial ruin and emotional devastation.
The interview explores the ethical boundaries that reputable investigators maintain, including their approach to missing persons cases. Rather than simply handing over information that could potentially enable harm, Tom's firm acts as an intermediary, giving found individuals control over whether they wish to reconnect with someone from their past.
Whether you're curious about the investigative field, concerned about online security, or simply fascinated by human behavior, this conversation offers rare insights into a profession that combines high-tech tools with timeless observational skills. To learn more about Tom's services or to connect with Blue Chameleon Investigations, visit trustbci.com or call 704-233-7758.
Blue Chameleon Investigations
Tom Geisler
4833 Old Charlotte Hwy, Monroe, NC 28110 Indian Trail, NC, United States, North Carolina 28110
(704) 233-7758
info@trustbci.com
trustbci.com
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Regina League.
Speaker 2:Hi everyone. This is Regina and I'm the owner of South Charlotte Media Group and one of my favorite things to do is talk to local business owners. And today I have a very unusual guest. I have with us Tom Geisler. Very unusual guest I have with us Tom Geisler. He's president and CEO of Blue Chameleon Investigations, based out of Monroe but working the whole Charlotte metro area. Welcome, tom.
Speaker 3:Well, thank you, Regina.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I see you've been in this area a long time, so, like me, you've seen a lot of changes.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, I moved here in 1980 or 79. I went to high school in East Meck, went to UNCC, graduated from there, and then I was a police officer in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department from 86, all the way to 2014 when I retired.
Speaker 2:Wow, yeah, this city has really, really changed in that respect as well. So now you own a private investigation company, so I'd love to know a little bit about how that came to be. Obviously, you were a police officer, and that sounds like it works, but what made you decide to do this?
Speaker 3:Well, it was always kind of a dream of mine when I was working with the police department. I was a detective probably for about 25 years with CMPD, and once I retired I tried retirement for about six months and I found that I was spending too much money and bored. So I decided, well, maybe it's better to go ahead and start being productive again. And since I was only 52 and I started this company with just me and now I've grown it to 14 employees- my goodness, since 2015.
Speaker 2:That's amazing. So to call yourself a private investigator? Are there any required qualifications?
Speaker 3:You have to be licensed through the Private Protective Services Board, PPSB, and they have a stringent requirement. You have to have a certain number of hours that you actually worked in investigations before you can have that get that license. Now, obviously, with the police department working for 25 years, I had that time easily. But since then I have actually trained several private investigators during my you know, during working in this role as a private investigator. So I have taken some individuals that had no investigative experience and then brought them to where they're actually fully licensed and most of them are still working for me.
Speaker 2:That's amazing. I used to want to do that. I'm really intrigued by what you do, so I was looking at your website and you guys offer a lot of services. Why don't you kind of walk us through what kind of cases and what kind of surveillance work you do?
Speaker 3:Well, we do the obvious the cheating spouses that everybody thinks about. We do child custody background investigations I also do. I've got individuals or employees that will do, or subcontractors also that do cybersecurity, security, cyber threats and also digital forensics like examining phones and such.
Speaker 2:Hasn't that changed just tremendously, I'm sure, just in the 10 years you've been doing this? What's happening online is, you know, can be crazy it is.
Speaker 3:it's it's a continual battle. We have experts in the field that work for us or consult with us so that we can help our customers or clients, you know protect themselves online, to identify who may be stalking them online. There's a lot of that that goes on. So there's and it's one of those things that where you're always going to continually have to upgrade your defenses because they're always trying to, so it's a continual. So, outside of the cyber cases, to the field of finances, so it's a continual file.
Speaker 2:So, outside of the cyber cases, what are some of the most common types of cases you get hired for or your team gets hired for?
Speaker 3:Well, domestic cases is probably one of the most common, but we also get a lot of calls about background investigations, like with the online dating. People go online, they try to meet their new significant other through that method, but there's a lot of scam artists and so I've had clients or I have a lot of clients that will call up and say, hey, I'm getting ready to date this new guy and I've got this information about him. Can you kind of look into it a little bit further?
Speaker 2:okay, so individuals call you. I'm sure you work with attorneys, uh, businesses, that's that's very, very cool.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that dating online stuff, I mean, I wouldn't even know if I were being scammed, that's, that's super interesting yeah, it's uh, a lot of people that what they'll uh, you know, they get on these dating sites, especially older, like 50s, 60s Maybe they've lost a spouse, or through divorce, or through death, and they get on there and then they've got these folks that will actually play on their hardship and then they'll start befriending them and then they'll try to elicit money. So they'll start out say, hey, can I borrow 50 bucks or whatever, and put it on a gift card. But sometimes those funds actually become really significant, like hundreds of thousands of dollars that these people lose because they think that they're in a loving relationship with this person online but they're actually not that's terrifying.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's. It is definitely a different world. What?
Speaker 1:are some of the misconceptions.
Speaker 2:You know. When someone comes to you, what? What do you find are common misconceptions?
Speaker 3:What do you find are common misconceptions? Well, that we only handle infidelity cases. We handle a wide variety of cases, you know, from fraud, asset recovery, child disputes. You know we also do corporations. We will do investigations like if there was sexual harassment in the workplace or a workplace hostile work environment, that type of thing. Hire us to do those investigations to determine where they can make changes and who they need to fire and whatever. So yes.
Speaker 2:So, go ahead If an individual calls you is there. Sometimes you just can't do that case for them.
Speaker 3:Sometimes there are some folks that will call us and it's obviously illegal what they want us to do, so we will take those cases and not take those cases. We'll just tell them that they need to go somewhere else.
Speaker 3:I get a lot of folks or well, a fair amount that will call up, like a guy will call up and say I'm trying to find my ex-girlfriend or or you know, baby's mama, and then of course that it sets up all kinds of alarms in our heads because I'm not going to release any address information without knowing more about what's going on. And a lot of times they're just trying to find them and there have been PIs in the past that have gotten in trouble for releasing information on an individual that was actually trying to hide from the person that was the PI and try to do injury to that person.
Speaker 2:Oh, wow. Well, that's where your police background. I'm sure you know the radars go off in your head. I didn't know, you just can't call and say all right. I want to find this person.
Speaker 3:No With those types of missing, because there are legitimate ones, like trying to find family members, and what we do is we act as a middleman. So legitimate ones, like trying to find family members, and what we do is we act as a middleman, so we'll get all the information from our client, we'll find that person and we'll contact that person and say, hey, this person is trying to find you. Here's their information. Call them if you want.
Speaker 2:Oh, that's super cool. You know, I've heard of people that found out they're adopted and they want to find their real family. Does that ever happen with you guys?
Speaker 3:Yes, we've worked several of those cases. Sometimes it really works out good, sometimes it doesn't.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but I see what you're saying. You contact them, the other person say this person's looking for you, and then if you want to find out or to contact them, that makes a lot of sense. What do you think makes a good private investigator? Instincts, training, both. What is it? In your opinion.
Speaker 3:Well it is. It's a lot of training or just getting out there and observing people. Most successful investigators are the ones that really like to watch people and can identify their possible motives before you know just by observing them. It's the same thing with the police department. You know, when you're a police officer you've got to be able to assess somebody very quickly because if you don't assess them properly, you may be in danger. There's definite warning signs for people that will set the bells and alarms off in a police officer or private investigators head a lot of times. Look, you know a lot of the employees that I've hired that had no investigative experience. A lot of us the drive to find out what's going on, yeah that's a good, good balance.
Speaker 2:and you experience, I'd say over time, what starts as maybe an instinct, but because of your experience you just know in your gut a lot of times yeah, a lot of times what you've been exposed to over the years.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, when I talk to somebody, it's like this does not sound right Because I talk to a lot of people all day. Some days I don't even get off the phone with potential new customers, and it's really so. I'm used to hearing a lot of the you know common things. You know somebody throws something at me. That's really strange. That sets off some alarms.
Speaker 2:What are you most proud of? Now? You know you've retired from the police force and you've started this successful job after retirement. But what are you most proud of?
Speaker 3:Well, I would say that I've, you know, built this company providing for 13 other people. You know livelihood, helping them and also helping our clients. You know our clients come to us in times of need. Most people don't know they need a private investigator until they need one Good point and they're in a very stressful situation. You know, dealing with a divorce or whatever their situation might be, and they need to know, have that information to help them get through it. Sometimes it's, you know, I have clients that will call up and they have that feeling that the husband or wife is cheating on them, or they actually know it, but they want to have closure, so they actually want to see the evidence so they can put that behind them and then focus on the future.
Speaker 2:Wow, sensitive stuff. Well, I'm sure I'm guessing you have cases that last a few weeks. Do you ever have some that last over a year or more?
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, yes, we do.
Speaker 2:Oh, wow. Well, Tom, it's been a pleasure getting to know you, and your work is so, so interesting. Thank you for joining us today, and let's end by you telling our listeners how they can find your business and connect with you guys that Okay, so we can be found on the web wwwtrustbcicom or wwwbluechameleoninvestigations.
Speaker 3:Our phone number is 704-233-7758. I have people answering the phone most of the day and the weekends, and then you can also email me directly, tom, at TrustBCI. com.
Speaker 2:Well, that's a good point. You're kind of available 24-7? Yes, I do sleep sometimes.
Speaker 3:Yeah, but you got you know that's what you have people for.
Speaker 2:Well, Tom, thank you very much. I hope to meet you in person one day. Well, Tom, thank you very much. I hope to meet you in person one day.
Speaker 3:Okay, well, thank you very much.
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