Rural Sleuth Must Blend In To Solve Cases

Rural Sleuth Must Blend In To Solve Cases AG WORLD Ag World 24-1-21 When rural private detective Ron Madison takes an assignment, he never knows what character he may have to assume. Whether playing the role of an insurance agent, used car broker, or computer salesman, Madison tries to fit into a community "in the best way possible without attracting attention." Madison knows his limitations though. "I could never pass for a farmer," he says, noting that he always informs the local police of his activities. The Saskatoon-based private eye employs five other investigators across western Canada. Madison says his job is not glamorous and exciting. He describes his job as a litany of late nights in smoky bars, endless roaming of country roads, and sitting in a parked car for hours waiting for a small drama to play itself out. Madison says that while rural cases have some unique circumstances, such as the need to blend into tightly knit communities, the problems he investigates compare to those of urbanities. He has three main areas of investigation: marital (or relationship) surveillance, missing persons, and insurance fraud. Before Madison agrees to accept a marital surveillance case, he cautions the prospective client to get ready for reality, whether good or bad. "I don't get paid to pass judgments. What you're going to get is the truth." In marital trust (or fidelity) cases, Madison believes his clients usually know the answer, they just want proof. He scouts out the facts of who, where, and when. "What I saw is what I saw. Where they went is where they went. What time the bedroom lights went out is when they went out. Straight facts, no trivial pursuit," he says. His "missing persons" cases consist of parental abductions and adopted people searching for blood relatives. In the last few years, a new type has surfaced, Madison noted. "Old boyfriends looking for old girlfriends," he says. "It's often divorced people looking back into their past and remembering their high school love." Although some people are just curious, he has re-united lost loves, occasionally with happy endings like friendship and marriage. As far as rural disability claims, Madison has discovered that the fraud artists come in all ages and types - "everything from grandmothers to church ministers," he says. He's typically hired by a national insurance firm to investigate suspected cheaters. A little bit of video tape can answer a lot of questions, Madison added. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Ron L. Madison, Box 25001, R.P.O. West Kildonan, Winnipeg, Canada R2V 4C7 (ph 800 870-2270 or 204 334-2741).

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