PISPWV Training Conference Oct. 26th & 27th
- August 13, 2012
- by Kimberly Faber
- Associations
The Private Investigators & Security Professionals of West Virginia (PISPWV) will be holding their annual training conference on October 26th and 27th in Morgantown, West Virginia. PInow.com sat down with PISPWV President Robert Fluharty for more details on the upcoming event.
What is PISPWV hoping to accomplish with this conference?
Fluharty: It has been two years since the last conference. We chose to skip a year (2011) to focus on some legislative activity for the state. The goal of this event is to re-emphasize the importance of training to the members and afford a venue where you can get a great deal and variety of information at once. Every PISPWV quarterly meeting includes a half day of training before the business meeting, but this two day event will include over a year’s worth of training topics. This event is also designed to increase and encourage membership participation.
What are some of the major issues private investigators in your area are facing? How will the conference address those issues?
Fluharty: West Virginia is a diverse state. The work of a private investigator could have you running from the Eastern Panhandle to Charleston just to get some basic information for clients. In order to offer a reasonable rate to cover expenses you have to network with reliable associates to maximize available resources. This conference will allow attendees to have direct contact with licensed professionals in order to determine peer capabilities. Additionally, There is an open session planned where attendees can voice concerns for the industry future, which will be presented to the State governing bodies.
What training will take place in the conference?
Fluharty: Some of the currently scheduled topics at the conference include:
- Computer Forensics
- Cell Phone Forensics
- Animal Cruelty Investigations
- Fugitive Recovery
- Handwriting Analysis
- Child Abuse Investigations
- Process Service
- Working with/for the Public Defender, and more.
The WV Secretary of State Office (as the licensing authority of the state) is invited to present as well. The final speaking slots are currently being filled. Most of the presenters have asked for two hours and the blocks are set at 50 minutes. Without a doubt you will receive a lot of information in a short time.
What do you think sets this conference apart from others?
Fluharty: This conference is put together by investigators and security members to fill training needs created by technology and changes in the field. As there is no official training standard for the career field, it is up to industry leaders to pass along experience and ensure that we continue to serve the needs of the public with competence and integrity. Defense attorneys and clients need quality work in their contracted investigations, and it's participation in organizations like PISPWV and events like this that give investigators knowledge and experience.
What types of products and companies will be present at this event?
Fluharty: We have some great sponsors including ICS International Counterintelligence Services, which is looking to possibly network assignments to qualified attendees; DataBlaze is providing an EagleEye GPS tracker unit for hands on evaluation and is giving it to one lucky attendee; Security America is sponsoring a table to highlight their security service; and TLO is providing attendees an unlimited trial access to their database which is outstanding.
What are you most excited for with this conference?
Fluharty: For me it's the networking. As the new President of PISPWV, I still stand in the shadow of some highly experienced individuals. This event re-energizes my desire to learn different things and expand into areas I'm not familiar with. My specialized experience is in interviewing sources for character and conduct to determine an individual’s suitability for trust, and if you just stay within my small scope of practice you become inflexible to the needs of future clients, and that's not good business.
What recreational events and activities will there be at this conference?
Fluharty: There is a social function scheduled for Friday evening at a local venue. This will provide an informal atmosphere where attendees can get to know some of the senior investigators and some of the newcomers to the field.
For more information on the PISPWV event, visit www.pispwv.org.
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