By Francine Black, Staff Reporter

If you are desperate and think your partner's cheating and checking his/her phone and pockets does not seem to work, there is a last resort.

Having a private investigator track your partner or check into his or her background is available right here in Jamaica.

THE STAR found at least one agency in western Jamaica, which admitted to providing the service. While we could not find other investigative agencies which offered the service in the Corporate Area, all of those contacted said they receive calls monthly, requesting the service.

Kirk Green, owner and operator of the detective agency which also offers security services, said he has been providing 'snooping services' since the agency started in the 1990s.

Doubtful women

His clients include foreigners planning to marry Jamaicans, or relatives of the same. He said others also utilise the service. "Mostly women request the service, but we also get requests from people who are married, single or planning to get married," Green said.

Providing the service can be time consuming, dangerous and costly. The average job ranges from $100,000 upwards. The price increases based on the subject's lifestyle. "It involves the subject's lifestyle. If it's a person who lives a high lifestyle, you know, like goes to (ritzy places) then it will cost more because the investigator will have to go to those places also," he said.

The agency has a team of trained investigators who carry out surveillance and background checks on the persons they are asked to investigate.

Green says he is conscious of the confidential nature of the services offered by his company and notes that he usually talks extensively with prospective clients, informing them about the risks and the implications of their actions.

He adds that the service is not in as high a demand as the other services which the agency offers. Since the start of the year they have only done five cases.

But the police are saying that there are legal implications for investigators who delve into classified information to satisfy their clients' needs.

"There are certain guidelines that they should not breach like tapping telephones and looking into bank records and that sort of thing," Detective Sergeant Radcliffe Levy, sub officer in charge of crime at the Half Way Tree Police station said.

THE STAR tried to speak with someone who has used a private investigator to follow their partner, however the few the news team found declined to speak about it. Quite a few persons who we also asked if they would hire someone to do this, said they would not. "People are that stupid?! Why would you waste your money when you can do it yourself?," said F. Williams.

Another female said she would not as she and her partner were grown and should handle things like grown people.

"No mi woulden do dat. Everybody a big people and mi nuh have no time fi waste...it hurt more when you find out seh him a gi yuh bun. It betta mi nuh know," she said.

Males too felt the same. "I don't think I would, I'd rather not know," a male said.

Another said he had a friend who actually trailed his girlfriend but found nothing.

"I had a friend who actually played the private eye. You know he went to parties and climbed walls and watch and he had a bike and he would follow her around," he said.

Another male said it was not worth the effort as "..mi nuh run afta no gal."

name has been changed upon request.