Page 56 - PPIAC 2021 - Annual Conference Presentation Materials 1_Neat

Results are Still King

By Dana Timmerman

The tools and technology evolve, but the same is true for every era of the gumshoe:
results are still king. In a highly competitive industry, it takes more than smooth-

talking, fancy suits, and quick wits to stand out. Your reputation is dependent upon
producing results that win cases, settle claims, and above all else, answer questions. In
the courtroom, attorneys seem like gunfighters at the O.K. Corral, wielding the law like

a polished six-shooter. However, without relevant data, they’re firing blanks.

The foundational model of data science (data mining + data cleanup + data analyzation
+ data visualization) works just as well for our purposes. The modern detective is not
judge and jury. We are data gatherers and information brokers who use the science of

deduction and analytical techniques to arrive at conclusions. We don’t spit out
unfounded opinions. Instead, we arm decision makers with the evidence they need to
make intelligent decisions. If we are going to get the best possible results, we are going
to need the best possible tools. Are identity resolution engines, like Spokeo and Pipl,

enough? Can we rely solely on paid databases, a la LexisNexis and Clear, to get the job
done? Or do we require a more robust solution to maximize the quality of our results?

Fading fast are the days when a social media check held little weight, consisting of
nothing more than a simple Google search. They are now commonplace, as digital

intelligence becomes an essential component in the investigative process. Paid
databases, i.e. TLO, Accurint, Clear, IDICore, IRBFocus and the like, are meant to be
the springboard from which an investigation is launched, not a one-stop solution for all

our needs. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, relevant means “having
significant and demonstrable bearing on the matter at hand.” A thousand-page report
littered with false positives, irrelevant posts, and missing key data points, is a thousand
pages of nothing. Worse yet, it can do more harm than good, damaging your case. Time

is money and oftentimes investigators find themselves pressed for time but substituting
quality for quantity will torpedo your reputation. In a world where results are still

king, reputation is everything.