Western Investigations Founder Patrick Schneemann on ABC’s 20/20

Private Investigator San Diego – Local, Professional

As one of the most experienced private detective agencies in California, we understand that no two cases are the same. We understand your circumstances are unique. Western Investigations is a family owned and operated private investigation company and we have helped thousands of people across California for more than 20 years. We have the experience to understand your case and apply investigative strategies appropriately. Most importantly, we understand you very well may be dealing with a difficult situation, so we are always compassionate as well as confidential.

Call us for a free, private consultation. Our lead investigator will take the time to understand your situation and recommend an appropriate strategy. We will always tell you upfront exactly what everything will cost.

We offer a full range of private detective services including surveillance, background checks, cheating spouse and family law investigations, phone breaks, asset searches, and much more. However, our main expertise lies in surveillance. We are the surveillance experts in California. Many San Diego private investigators claim to offer surveillance, but they simply lack the experience, technology, and know how to do it effectively. At Western we have been conducting professional surveillance for more than 20 years. Don’t trust something this important to a mediocre investigator. You deserve a level of service that only an experienced surveillance expert like us can provide.

While we are based in San Diego, we have local investigators in Los Angeles, Orange County, Inland Empire, San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, and throughout California. No matter where you are in California, you can be sure a local, experienced investigator will be working your case.

San Diego, California is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. With our close proximity to the border, the mountains, and beaches, San Diego is an extremely diverse city. This one of a kind city can also present challenges to private investigators that only an experienced local private investigator San Diego could deal with successfully.

The city is well known as a vacation destination and a thriving convention city. We host thousands of conventions every year and each convention and hotel / resort has its own set of unique protocols that a detective must be aware while conducting the investigation.

Knowing the city’ s residential neighborhoods, corporate areas, beach towns, and downtown hot spots is critical to conducting a successful investigation. Also, occasionally cases that originate in San Diego end up crossing the border and going into Mexico. Being able to cross the border into Mexico and feeling comfortable blending in and still getting evidence can make the difference in working the case.

Using local, “ home grown” , investigators on case assignments, be it surveillance, locates or background investigations greatly increases the quality of the investigation and the likelihood of producing the results needed by the customer.

The Investigation Process

Information is critical when making decisions. One of the reasons for this website is to provide you with the information you need before making the decision to hire a private investigator. Understanding the “Investigation Process” is not only an important part of hiring a San Diego Private Investigator, but an overall understanding will also give you an idea of what to expect and improve the likelihood of a successful investigation.

The Free Consultation

Every investigation begins with a consultation. And, it’s important to know that some actually end there as well. It’s not uncommon at all for us to advise a client that their objective does not require the services of a San Diego Private Investigator. Some requests are based on a “Magnum PI” understanding of the investigation process. At Western Investigations, we don’t tap phone lines, we can’t photograph inside people’s bedrooms and our surveillance investigators don’t drive red Ferrari’s. We are motivated to get the job done and we’ll do almost anything to accomplish the objectives of our clients… but breaking the law is not one of them. Over the past 25 years as a Private Investigator in San Diego, we’ve turned away a lot of potential cases for various reasons. Client’s need to know that they can trust a private investigator to keep their overall interests in mind and provide them with honest answers and realistic expectations.

Our free consultation is as much about listening as it is about consulting. Call now… and you’ll find out that we will take the time to listen carefully to our clients description of their case circumstances, their motives and what their ultimate goal is for the investigation. We are very careful to make sure we accurately diagnose the situation before we begin prescribing the solution. That may seem like common sense, but you’d be shocked to know how many private investigators in San Diego fail to understand that very important step in the process.

The Investigative Approach

Once we have a clear grasp of our client’s goals and the circumstances surrounding the case, we outline an investigative strategy and explain it to our client’s in a clear concise way. The Investigative Approach should never be a mystery to the client. Once again, adhering to this step will not only give the client peace of mind because they understand what will be taking place during the investigation, but it will also give us a better chance to succeed in accomplishing the goals of the investigation. Let’s be honest, Private investigation work is rocket science and it’s not the same thing as having a doctor describe brain surgery to a patient. But, it’s not “checkers” either. Private Investigations do require skill, knowledge, expertise and experience. And, as a direct result of our experience and expertise, we’ve learned to trust our clients. Over the past 25 years in the investigations industry, we’ve learned that our client’s are more than capable of understanding what exactly we plan to do in order to accomplish the case objectives. In fact, our client’s are a valuable resource to the investigation. Trusting our client’s is a crucial part in gaining their trust.

The best investigation strategies are flexible and fluid enough to adjust based on the circumstances that arise during the course of the investigation. This does not, however, alleviate the investigator of the responsibility to explain the general approach at the onset of the case. With more than a quarter of a century of experience conducting investigations in San Diego County, we’ve learned exactly what works and what does not work. Our extensive experience along with the principle of “trial and error” has given us a thorough understanding of how to apply investigative tools to meet specific case objectives. We know which investigation tactics work and which one’s don’t. We use the right San Diego Investigators in the right situations and put ourselves in the best possible position to meet the demands of the case. Our investigative strategy and approach are designed to accomplish the case objectives. Whether it’s surveillance, database research, witness identification, trash pickups, statements, undercover investigations, etc… we know how to apply the right tool to the right case and obtain the right results.

Precise Quote & No Billing Surprises

The price of any investigation is always a factor and it’s always agreed upon before work begins. And, once again, clarity is everything. At Western Investigations we pride ourselves on making sure there are NO BILLING SURPRISES. The last thing we would ever want is a client who feels they were taken advantage of or manipulated with respect to the cost of the investigation. We provide all our clients with an exact quote for services and create a written Letter of Engagement (Contract) before we begin working on the case. This written contract will outline the terms, price and guarantee our client’s confidentiality. We make sure our clients are aware of what is billed for and what is not charged. We are careful to keep all billing within the agreed upon terms. As the investigation proceeds, our office keeps the client updated with the number of hours used and provides them with details on how much of their initial retainer is remaining. Just like the investigation strategy, there should be no ambiguity and NO SURPRISES when it comes to billing.

Executing the Plan

No investigator should ever guarantee results… There are just too many factors outside our control. But, they can guarantee they will do what they say they’re going to do. Once an investigative plan has been put in place, the next step is to execute it. The management team at Western Investigations utilizes all the investigative tools at our disposal in implementing the strategy. Our experienced surveillance investigators and management staff team up to make sure each phase of the plan is put into action. Communication is a critical part of each investigation. Our field investigators keep our office updated with developments and adjustments are made to the investigation strategy on a real time basis. The investigation manager, in turn, relays important information to the client and keeps them in the loop every step of the way. And, our client, who, in many cases is still in contact with the subject of the investigation, provides our team with updated information about the subject. As the investigation proceeds and evidence is gathered, our team will make minor adjustments to the investigative plan as needed and continue to update the client with results. When it comes to investigations, we try to under process and over deliver.

Reporting & Accountability

Reporting back to our clients, both verbally and in written form is one of the most important parts of any investigation. We train all our field investigators to understand that if they don’t report it, it never happened. Everything we see, hear, discover, and uncover is noted and documented. Not everything makes its way into our final report, but the relevant information and evidence does. All of our investigations are conducted with the end in mind. And, in this business, “the end” is court or a well written report. As a San Diego Private Investigator, Western Investigations will produce well written, professional reports which can be reviewed by attorneys, insurance adjusters, judges and admitted into evidence.

Call today and watch the Investigation Process put into action.

A Message from Our President, Patrick R. Schneemann – Licensed Private Investigator

Patrick R. Schneemann is the owner and founder of Western Investigations. Mr. Schneemann has been licensed as a Private Investigator in California since 1996. He was born and raised in the San Diego area and graduated from Bonita Vista High School in 1984. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Utah in 1992 and began working as a private investigator in July of 1992. Over the course of his nearly 30 year career as a San Diego Private Investigator, Patrick Schneemann has performed more than 10,000 investigations throughout San Diego, Southern California, the United States, Mexico, Vietnam, Germany and around the world. He is widely considered an expert authority on all aspects of the Private Investigations industry. He has appeared on several national television shows including ABC 20/20, Nightline, the Food Network and is a regular on local San Diego news airways. Please play the video below and watch a brief message from San Diego Private Investigator, Patrick Schneemann – President of Western Investigations.

To contact us by mail:

5694 Mission Center Rd #443
San Diego, CA. 92108