Email

By Greg Bartlett

The most common scenario for private investigators is trying to track down a cheating spouse for a client, or to provide them with the means to confront spousal infidelity directly. It used to be that this involved comparing credit report and credit card receipts for excess purchases, and various other things that were immediate tip offs. It involved bribing hotel managers to show the guest book. It involved skulking in bushes with small cameras to get documentary evidence for divorce courts. You hate to even think about having to go about finding out things like this, but sometimes it seems it is the only option.

That’s all changed, thanks to GPS technology. GPS – Global Positioning Satellites –were put into place in the 1980s. They allow fairly precise tracking of people, objects and more. They were the basis of the ‘smart bombs’ of the first Iraq War and parts of the GPS satellite constellation are now available for commercial applications. This first showed up in GPS handheld units that priced at over a thousand dollars. They saved countless lives for hikers and outdoor sports enthusiasts. GPS tracking device technology (and similar techniques using cell phone towers for positional accuracy) is the key to onboard navigation systems and are quickly becoming a standard feature on cell phones so people can find their way around strange cities.

However, a GPS tracking device has another use – it’s possible to make a device that will record and transmit (usually by cell phone SMS messaging) a set of GPS locations every 3 to 5 minutes. This was first used to monitor trains on the East Coast, but as the technology has matured and GPS chip sets have gotten cheaper, it’s migrated to other purposes as well. While not exactly common (or high profile), it’s possible to install a similar device on a car.

A GPS tracking device can transmit more than just a GPS coordinate and location call (some will send out a report every 30 seconds to 5 minutes) these devices can also report whether the ignition is on or off and will go into standby mode when the ignition is off. These provide a causal trail and a constant record of where a car has been over a period of time, and can be installed covertly if you suspect a cheating spouse. However, you may want to try talking with your spouse first.

While they may not be exactly “cheap” (they can cost between $195 up to $500), they can be critical evidence when going in to divorce court. At all cost, however, first seek reconciliation with your spouse.