PRIVATE EYE: INVESTIGATION AGENCY THRIVES IN SMALL TOWN

CHAFFEE -- He doesn't drive a sports car or carry a gun, and his cases don't end with the bad guy dying or the payback of getting the girl.

But Jerry Wolsey is a bona fide private investigator, who's office is in the heart of Chaffee, population 2,500.

"A lot of people get the idea that we do what the private investigators on TV do, and it's really nothing like that," Wolsey said.

Two other investigators are employed at the Wolsey Investigation Service, Inc., along with 13 security guards. The business has been operating since October 1989, and Wolsey said it's booming.

Last year, the agency handled 84 cases. So far this year, they've handled 47.

"Who in the world would ever dream," he said, "that a private investigation agency would be this busy in Southeast Missouri?"

Wolsey and his investigators work for attorneys and insurance companies from all over Southeast Missouri, investigating accidents, wrongful death suits, child custody cases and the like.

But in a third of his cases, his agency is hired by a private citizen, and the investigators end up trying to locate a missing person or, most often, spying on a seemingly untrustworthy spouse.

While Wolsey refuses to discuss individual cases, he said when the agency is hired by individuals, the cases are often unusual.

"In the private sector, there have been some strange cases, but most of the time they want us to follow their husband or wife," he said.

"And a lot of the time they think you can do everything in a couple of hours. They want you to trespass on private property, and that's something we can't do. You have to explain the legalities to them."

And although he won't divulge the specifics of any case, he said every case is "interesting.

"I thought I'd seen it all in law enforcement. I was wrong."

Wolsey, who also lives in Chaffee, was a police officer for 15 years before breaking into the investigations business. He worked for the Chaffee and Sikeston Police Departments and the Scott County Sheriff's Department.

He said prior law enforcement experience is a must for a private investigator, because knowledge of the law is crucial. All of his employees have prior experience in law enforcement or the military, he said.

"We've got to stay within the scope of the law," he said. "And we take our work very seriously."

Very little of the work is glamorous, he said, and it's usually not dangerous. Most of the work is done at night and on weekends, he said, leaving little time for family. And stakeouts can mean endless waiting.

"When you're doing surveillance, it's probably the most boring thing in the world," he said, "until something happens. But before that, 20 hours seems like 80 hours."

Wolsey said he and the other investigators usually start a case by looking through public records.

"We spend a lot of time in area courthouses," he said. "Marriages, divorces, land transfers, that's usually where we start."

But they also utilize videotapes, interviews with friends and neighbors of the person or persons they are investigating and computer equipment. They are often called to testify in court for their clients, he said, so accurate record keeping is a must.

"You never see an investigator on television coming back to the office to file a report, and that's a big part of it."

He said they account for every hour spent on a case in writing.

Wolsey and his investigators and security guards don't carry firearms. He said until the state passes laws to regulate firearm use with private investigation and security agencies, none of his employees will carry guns.

"Until we are state-regulated, we are private citizens like everyone else," he said. "Missouri is one of the few states in the nation that doesn't regulate firearm use with private agencies.

"Anyone who wants to can start up a security agency with the way the laws are now. With regulations and guidelines, you'd eliminate all the fly-by-night, one-man operations that are not insured."

Wolsey said insurance, even without firearms, is expensive. Last year, his firm spent $13,000 on insurance, not including vehicle insurance.

Wolsey said he hopes the state begins regulating security and investigation agencies soon. He said the need for such services is increasing, making regulations even more important.

Wolsey's clients come from all across the United States, he said. The existence of his agency has spread by word of mouth, he said. And almost never is the agency hired by someone in Chaffee.

"I can't remember the last time we had a case in Chaffee," he said. "But we get calls from all over, from people who want to find someone or something in Southeast Missouri."

He said even though the job is demanding and time-consuming, he'll continue to do it.

"There is a big need for a private investigation agency here. I found that out."