Dozens of Los Angeles police officers hold private investigator licenses, a far higher number than officials had previously acknowledged, a Times study of state and local records shows.
The licensed investigators include detectives in high-profile assignments. Chief William J. Bratton told the Police Commission in February that only two of his officers were licensed and that the department closely monitored such activities. Other officials later put the number at eight.
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Saturday April 22, 2006 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 1 inches; 36 words Type of Material: Correction
LAPD detectives: An article in Friday's California section about Los Angeles Police Department officers who are licensed as private investigators said Det. James J. Martin held a private-eye license. Martin does not have such a license.
This week, LAPD Cmdr. Kenneth O. Garner said in an interview that there are probably more than 100 police officers licensed as private investigators, although he added that the department still does not have a firm figure.
"The whole issue outlines what a serious concern there is for potential conflicts of interest. The chief is concerned, the Police Commission is concerned," Garner said. "The bad news is, we didn't have a handle on this; the good news is we are going to get a handle on it."
Because police officers have access to confidential information -- such as law enforcement databases containing personal information on millions of individuals, and knowledge of ongoing cases -- many police departments ban officers from moonlighting as private eyes.
Jeffrey S. Duggan, a detective in the department's threat management unit, which handles stalking and other threats against individuals or institutions, was listed on a website as the "principal" of a firm called Infopursuit Inc. As an LAPD detective, Duggan has handled cases involving threats to celebrities, such as a 2005 incident in which actress Lindsay Lohan's car was struck by a photographer.
The website offered services including investigating stalking cases, plus criminal and background investigations as well as "telephone and cellular phone searches," under the motto "Your solution to the unknown."
The firm listed as its address a mailbox store in a Tustin strip mall, next to a Papa John's Pizza.
Duggan, who returned a phone call placed to the number listed on the website, said the site is outdated and that he stopped working for the business more than a year ago. Duggan said his wife, Christa Frankos, now runs the firm. The website states that Frankos formerly worked for the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, a Virginia-based nonprofit group.
Two hours after Duggan spoke to The Times on Wednesday, Infopursuit's website offering private investigations was taken down. Another website for the firm remains, but references to private investigations were removed.
