An East Tennessee operative’s tech needs are simple and sleek.
If I had to pull three things I never want to do without, it’s these — nothing crazy exciting, but Tennessee has taught me that fancy stuff is usually overrated.
1. Lawmate CM-TC10 “Tie Clip” Camera
This is the only item on my list that sounds like fancy spy gear. Mine was tragically lost in a washing machine related accident a couple of weeks ago (no fault of my own, of course), and it’s true what they say about not appreciating something until it’s gone.
I’ve never actually worn it on a tie, but this little wide-area camera can be clipped onto a pocket or belt loop or clipboard and nobody EVER notices it.
Rural Tennessee court dodgers are not very receptive to people with cameras. If I already know someone is a difficult defendant, I like to have photos of the location and subject whenever possible. Usually nobody will ever actually see any photos/videos. But if someone fails to appear, I want my ducks in a row.
I’ll be buying a replacement “Tie Clip” ASAP, because it’s real good at lining up ducks.
2. BESTEK 12v to 110v Adapter
This is one of those things I never thought about needing but now don’t know how I functioned without. I can keep my laptop, phone, hotspot, etc. all charged and running while I’m in my car.
If you spend as much driving as I do and DON’T have a laptop available and charged whenever you want, you have no idea what you’re missing.
I haven’t tried a microwave yet, but hot pockets on the road? I don’t know. Give it a shot. Everyone should buy one of these adapters.
3. tncrtinfo.com
This one is pretty area specific. It covers only 29 of Tennessee’s 95 counties, but I happen to find myself in at least 6 of them regularly. I don’t care if you’re loyal to Delvepoint, TLO, or Tracers. Around here there are so many people who live with friends, family, or just can’t afford to stay in one place for more than a few months without being evicted, that none of the big databases have anything close to up-to-date information.
Tncrtinfo.com is my first search if a larger company doesn’t already have a firm address when they call me. You have to pay for separate county access individually, but it’s worth every penny. I’ve had out of state clients thinking I’m a magician just because their database didn’t know that John Doe’s nephew ran a stop sign in Greene County the week before.
Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best solutions, and I’m not sure what I’d do without this website.
About the Author:
You probably can’t find Matt Gale, because he’s ever on the move in East Tennessee. But evidence of him can be found on his Twitter feed, @MGinvestigates, where you can observe him getting mad at politicians and occasionally making fun of how bad John and Jane Doe are at hiding.