Gillespie Investigations

Gillespie Investigations

By JJ Velasquez Friday, 17 April 2009

Mark Gillespie, licensed private investigator and owner of Gillespie Investigations, pursues justice.

After a career in forensic science and law enforcement, and now as a private investigator, Gillespie advocates on behalf on the wrongly accused.

“Not everyone arrested is guilty of the crime they’re arrested for,” he said.

His criminal justice background dates back to his days in the Air Force, where he was assigned to the Office of Special Investigations in 1979.

He worked on investigations both at home and abroad until retiring in 1996, when he was hired to direct the forensic science department for the Austin Police Department.

In 2002, Gillespie began teaching at St. Edward’s University, where he created a forensic science undergraduate program. He remained a faculty member as he established his business in late 2003. Gillespie left St. Edward’s in December 2007.

A career in private investigations was a lifetime goal, he said.

In his current line of work, he covers cases ranging from criminal defense and cheating spouses to child custody and background investigations.

As an investigator, he is not geographically limited. Although his cases often take him to different regions of Texas and even outside of the state, Gillespie generally works within the Austin metro area.

Cheating spouse cases are becoming more common in his practice, he said.

Gillespie solidifies cases with at least three documentations of confirmed activity and looks for trends to bolster his conclusions, he said.

Evidence might include video or photographs. These are not typically revealed in court, but rather used as leverage in divorce cases.

He also enjoys conducting background investigations so companies can hire individuals with a clean background.

“I really enjoy helping people hire the right person,” he said.

Usually managing five to seven cases at a time, Gillespie said a typical day for him begins at 7:30 a.m. and ends at midnight.

His tasks include not only running investigations, but managing his business and networking with prospective clients.

However, Gillespie doesn’t feel overworked.

“It all depends on the individual — I just enjoy working all the time,” he said.

Private security requirements

As a private investigator licensed by the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Private Security Board, Gillespie must renew his license each year.

Among other requirements, to hold a license one must:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Not have been convicted of two or more felony offenses or a single felony within the past 20 years
• Not have been convicted of a Class A misdemeanor within the past 10 years
• Not be currently charged with a Class A misdemeanor or felony offense
• Not have been dishonorably discharged from the military, discharged under other conditions determined by the board to be prohibitive or dismissed from the U.S. armed services if a commissioned officer in the U.S. armed services
• Not be required to register in this or any other state as a sex offender

For more information on private investigations companies, visit www.txdps.state.tx.us/psb

Source: Texas Department of Public Safety

Gillespie Investigations, 1420 Cypress Creek Road, Ste. 200-116,680-5851, www.gillespieinvestigations.com