When the facts matter, experience matters.Private investigations for attorneys, insurers, businesses and families in Western Pennsylvania

John Dale Hartman spent 19 years as a licensed private detective, then served as a police officer, detective and undercover operative, and retired as the chief who built a regional department. Now that experience works for you.

Call (412) 677-8280 Send a confidential inquiry

John Dale Hartman, AAS, BA, MPPMLicensed private investigator

Background: Retired Chief of Police
Status: Licensed, bonded and insured
Court-approved: Capital crimes defense investigator
Phone: (412) 677-8280, answered 24/7

Why John

He has worked an investigation from both sides of the badge.

Nineteen years a licensed private detective. Then a police officer, detective and undercover operative, and finally the Chief of Police who built the Southwest Regional Police Department from its start in 2003. Now he is back in private practice with all of it.

His way of working is plain: a clearly defined objective, careful observation, evidence gathered lawfully, and a report that holds up. As he puts it in his column, the report should say why the investigator was there, what was seen, how it was documented and why it matters. "Nothing more. Nothing less."

Court-approved Capital Crimes Defense InvestigatorRetained with judicial authorization in death penalty cases
Elected to the state investigators' boardPennsylvania Association of Licensed Investigators, Director at Large for Regions 3 and 4, and newsletter editor
Featured columnist, PI MagazineStaff writer and presenter for the national trade magazine
Author and expert witnessLegal Guidelines for Covert Surveillance Operations in the Private Sector

"I employ John as a detective and I will use no other."

Mark Brooks, Attorney at Law and retired assistant district attorney, who worked more than 50 cases with John

Six kinds of case

What kind of investigation do you need?

More than thirty services, filed the way clients actually arrive. Open a folder for the full list, or call and describe the problem in your own words.

01Legal

Legal and criminal defense

Investigations for criminal defense counsel, civil litigators and the court, including capital cases.

Capital crimes defense
Civil litigation support
Witness interviews
Service of process

Who calls: Defense attorneys, civil litigators, appointed counsel

02Personal

Personal and family matters

Quiet, careful work for private people facing something they can't sort out alone.

Infidelity and domestic matters
Child custody
Missing persons
Cyberstalking and harassment

Who calls: Individuals and families

03Corporate

Corporate and workplace

Theft, misconduct, due diligence and the safety of the people in your building.

Employee theft
Due diligence
Pre-employment screening
Active shooter training

Who calls: Business owners, HR, security and nonprofit leaders

04Insurance

Insurance and claims

Discreet, lawful evidence for carriers, adjusters and Special Investigative Units.

Workers' comp
Auto and accident fraud
Disability claims
Claimant histories

Who calls: Carriers, adjusters, SIU teams, defense firms

05Cyber

Cyber and technical

Devices, data, online threats and the listening devices nobody should have planted.

Computer forensics
Online investigations
Wiretap detection
Open-source research

Who calls: Businesses, attorneys, individuals, public bodies

06Records

Surveillance and records

The groundwork under every case: watching, checking, searching the record.

Surveillance
Background checks
Asset research
Records research

Who calls: Everyone above

For attorneys

Why do attorneys bring John their hardest cases?

Because he has been the officer on the stand and the investigator behind the defense. He supports criminal defense counsel, including court-approved work on capital cases, and civil litigators who need witnesses found, evidence gathered and assets identified.

His findings are documented with methods meant to be admissible, and his reports are written for the courtroom, not the filing cabinet.

Investigations for attorneys

"I trust John with my most important investigation needs. He is exceptionally responsive, thorough, and attuned to the needs of his clients. If it's important, trust it to John."

CJ Engel, Esquire

Expert witness topics

Investigative standards and protocols
Private sector use of force
Detention and arrest authority for private personnel
Surveillance legality and ethics
Corporate and workplace security procedures

When it's personal

Quiet help when the problem is close to home.

Private clients usually call about something painful: a spouse, a custody question, a relative they can't find, someone harassing them online. John listens first, tells you plainly what an investigation can and can't do, and keeps your name out of it.

Strictly confidentialYour identity and information stay protected from the first call.
Answered 24/7Call any hour; weekends, John is on call.
Family mattersCustody, infidelity, caregivers and missing persons.
Online threatsCyberstalking, harassment and online predation.

Talk to John privately

On the record

He writes the guidance other investigators follow.

John is a featured columnist and staff writer for PI Magazine, the trade magazine for professional investigators, and the author of a book on the law of covert surveillance.

His September/October 2026 cover story, "The Tactical Undercover Operation," is about planning, restraint and documentation: get in, complete the objective, and get out.

More of his writing and podcasts

Cover of the book Legal Guidelines for Covert Surveillance Operations in the Private Sector by John Dale Hartman — Exhibit ALegal Guidelines for Covert Surveillance Operations in the Private SectorAuthor

Cover of the Encyclopedia of Security Management, Techniques and Technology, edited by John J. Fay — Exhibit BEncyclopedia of Security ManagementContributing author

A PI Magazine cover from an issue carrying a column by John Dale Hartman — Sep/Oct 2026

Member and contributor

"John Dale Hartman Private Investigations is a firm that gets results quickly. As a retired chief of police John Dale Hartman knows how to conduct a thorough and discreet investigation."

Al DeLucia

"He is a true professional who has enough experience and expertise to follow the facts of a case to its conclusion. He then knows how to create a useful report, excellent for court or any hearing."

Kirk Hessler

"He was kind, caring, and genuinely interested in helping me with my issue. His professionalism, honesty and care for his clients are nothing short of exemplary."

Donald Ravasio

Coverage

Which counties does John serve?

Ten counties across Western Pennsylvania, from Beaver to Cambria and down to Greene.

Westmoreland, Allegheny, Washington, Fayette, Butler, Beaver, Greene, Somerset, Cambria and Indiana counties. Matters elsewhere: call and ask.

The domed Westmoreland County Courthouse in Greensburg under a clear blue sky — Westmoreland County Courthouse, Greensburg. Photo: Farragutful, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Questions people ask before they call, answered plainly.

Read the answers

Call any hour (412) 677-8280 Phone answered 24/7

Office hours
Monday to Friday	8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday	On call
Phone	Answered 24/7

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