A recent surge in burglaries at Mellow Johnny’s Bike Shop in Austin has forced its general manager, Will Black, to shift his focus away from his passion for cycling. Despite filing reports with the Austin Police Department, the break-ins continued, prompting Black to seek outside help.
Enter Dave Amis, a private investigator with Strider PI, who has seen an uptick in requests for his services. “We can be totally focused on their case, allowing us to be more aggressive and move quickly,” Amis explained. Black hired Amis and his team to investigate the burglaries, and they quickly identified four suspects.
Thanks to the PI’s efforts, police have arrested three individuals connected to the case. Amis emphasized that his team’s role is to gather evidence and hand it over to law enforcement, who can then make the arrest. “We work a case and then pass it on to APD, who can pick it up and finish it,” he said.
Black is relieved that the private investigator’s help is paying off, and he’s eager to return to his core mission of serving the community. “I just want to go back to taking care of our customers and doing what I love,” he said.
But can evidence gathered by a private investigator be used in court? According to Alan Bennett, a former Travis County prosecutor and current defense attorney, the answer is yes – as long as it’s obtained legally. “The burden for PIs and law enforcement is the same,” Bennett explained. “They must establish the location of the evidence, how it was recovered, and the chain of custody.”
In Texas, licensed private investigators like Amis are regulated by the Department of Public Safety and must follow strict guidelines to ensure that evidence is collected legally and without violating privacy laws.
