This week, a series of protests focuses on the Law Enforcement Intelligence Unit (LEIU), a shadowy "private" network of police agencies that shares intelligence without public accountability. But spying on citizens is not limited to police and government agencies. In every city, including Seattle, there are many private detectives/investigators (aka spies) making a living. The 2003 Qwest Yellow Pages for Metro Seattle contains 94 listings under the heading "Investigators." Seattle's private detectives provide anything from innocent witness locations for attorneys, to evil corporate spying couched by industry terms such as "fraud prevention and risk management."

Let's say you're injured on the job. You can't work, so you collect Labor and Industries (L&I) Disability Insurance. The state and a former employer pay into that insurance, and premiums fluctuate in industrial insurance according to accidents, just as they do with car accidents and auto insurance. An employer will often pay a private detective for video surveillance of the person claiming the disability, doing something he claims he cannot. For instance, if you were not working due to a back injury, footage of you hauling a 40 pound bag of dog food into your trunk may be damaging. Spies and employers will argue the video is proof the disability does not exist.

Industry terms exist in the spy industry. For instance, the "CLAIMANT" is the person making an insurance claim, usually regarding a disability or property damage. The "claimant" is the one being spied upon. The "CLIENT" is the entity paying the spy. The "client" is usually an insurance company, an ex-employer of the claimant, an attorney or government agency. "SKIP TRACING" is another spy term. "Skip tracing" uses a combination of information sources to patchwork together one solid lead to find and follow the claimant. Information gathering is like a big logic puzzle. Clues lead to more clues. It is in this unraveling and piecing together that detectives find their forte, and make their living.

Another spy term is the word "PRETEXT." "Pretext" is a way to feel out a subject, with a seemingly innocent interaction, for covert purposes. A classic pretext interaction is a marketing survey. A stranger comes to your door and offers a token gift in exchange for a moment of your time. The spy doing pretext will ask questions, such as what type of car do you drive? Where do you shop? Where do you work? How many kids do you have? Are you married? What are your hobbies? Then, using this information, surveillance will begin on your car, where you shop, where you work, where you conduct social activities, on the golf course, at your kids' schools, at community cake decorating classes, on e-mail groups, at equestrian clubs, whatever it takes.

Private Investigators operating in Washington State need to have a professional license. You can view the requirements for becoming a spy in Washington at www.dol.wa.gov/ppu/pifront.htm , on the Washington Department of Licensing (DOL) website. Private Investigators also must follow the Revised Codes of Washington (RCW's). To view the laws regarding private spying in Washington state, visit the RCW page of the Washington State Legislature site (www.leg.wa.gov/RCW), scroll down to Businesses and Professions, Title 18, then proceed to 18.165, Private Investigators.

This is briefly how a spy in Seattle often works. A client calls in a claimant's name. The spy takes that information and begins a skip trace. Telephone directory is called, driver's records are requested from the Washington State Patrol. Requests for medical records full of personal information will ensue. The State Department of Revenue (DOR) will be called at 1-800-647-7706, pushing 1, followed by 2, then by 0. Information on any in-state businesses the individual ever had, including addresses of owner and business, are often sitting right there, for free. You can also access these online at the DOR site (www.dor.wa.gov). Click on "Public Records Database." State vehicle registration information will be obtained from the Washington State Vehicle/Vessel Information Processing System (VIPS). VIPS says it "enters into contracts to provide access to vehicle and vessel registration information." Read about VIPS at the DOL website (www.dol.wa.gov). Click on the "Privacy" link, then hit "Public Access to Information." Voter records are another good hit. Private "identification and credential verification services," such as the nation's leader, Choicepoint (www.choicepoint.net), are often contracted by investigators. Files are kept, in Seattle private offices, about claimants' children, spouses, physical descriptions, property and vehicles, previous addresses, neighbors, injuries and more! Once located, agents are sent into the field to do pretext, then to do video surveillance.

Next time you think Big Brother is only a government employee, open up your phone book, and look under "Investigator." These spies work above and below laws governing police spying. And often are contracted by governmental agencies. If there are 94 listed spies in the current Seattle phone book -- along with all the investigators working directly for various companies -- who do you think they are spying on?