Your Santa Monica Private Investigator for Surveillance and Investigations
Bear Witness is the private investigator in Santa Monica that families, attorneys, and businesses call when they need facts, not guesses. Santa Monica is a city of about 92,000 people in Los Angeles County. We are a veteran-owned, California-licensed firm (PI #18755), and surveillance is what we do best.
Our Santa Monica clients include individuals facing infidelity or a missing family member, parents in custody and support disputes, employers and insurers dealing with fraud, and law firms that need evidence and testimony. What they share is a need for discreet, lawful surveillance that holds up.
Surveillance Specialists Serving Santa Monica
Most investigations come down to one question: what is really happening? A private investigator in Santa Monica answers it with surveillance video, photos, and a written timeline.
Mobile Surveillance
Experienced drivers who anticipate turns and freeway exits, so your subject is documented from stop to stop.
Static Surveillance
We hold position at the locations that matter to your case and record activity with time-stamped video.
Two-Investigator Teams
Team surveillance covers multiple exits and keeps a moving subject in sight in heavy Southern California traffic.
Santa Monica’s density (about 10,900 people per square mile) makes foot surveillance practical and keeping a vehicle in position harder, so we plan coverage accordingly.
How a Santa Monica Private Investigator Can Help
Four kinds of clients call us most — and surveillance is at the center of almost every case.
Personal Cases
- Nanny & daycare surveillance — observing caregiver conduct and advising on what in-home recording is legal.
- Runaways & missing persons — locating family members and loved ones who have left or lost touch.
- Infidelity & cheating spouse — a clear, factual answer for Santa Monica clients who suspect a partner.
Family Law Cases
- Child custody — parenting-time compliance, home conditions, and welfare concerns.
- Child visitation — observing whether visitation terms are being followed.
- Child support — uncovering unreported work that affects support.
- Divorce investigations — evidence for Los Angeles County family court, documented properly.
- Lifestyle investigations — what someone’s day-to-day life really looks like.
- Cohabitation — documenting cohabitation that can affect spousal support under Family Code 4323.
Business Cases
- Workers’ comp fraud — surveillance on claims where activity and injuries don’t match.
- Employee theft — quietly confirming suspected theft so you can respond with facts.
- Injury claims — showing what a claimant can really do.
- Business partner surveillance — answers before you sign or after trust breaks down.
- Insurance defense — field work that supports a strong defense.
Law Firm Cases
- Records research — public and court records research to support your case.
- Court testimony — our investigators testify to what they observed.
- Surveillance — defensible surveillance your team can rely on at trial.
- Evidence gathering — court-ready documentation for litigation.
- Witness statements — locating witnesses and taking their statements.
- Evasive subpoena service — serving witnesses and parties who are avoiding service.
Why Santa Monica Clients Choose Bear Witness
Choosing a private investigator in Santa Monica comes down to experience, discretion, and evidence that holds up.
Available 24/7
Cases don’t keep business hours. We take calls and work surveillance day, night, and weekends.
Absolute Discretion
Confidential from the first call; covert in the field.
Statewide Coverage
Coverage across Southern, Northern, and Central California, including all of Los Angeles County.
Direct Access to Your Investigator
One investigator from your first call to your final report, with updates along the way.
Surveillance Specialists
We specialize in surveillance, so your case gets investigators who do this every day.
Honest Results
We report what we observed — no stretching thin evidence to justify a case.
What Our Clients Say
Real reviews from Bear Witness clients across California.
“Thank you for all your help. You guys were really great! I will definitely refer your private detective agency to all my friends & colleagues in need.”
“Of all the private investigators I have used, the Bear Witness Detective Agency has proven to be the only investigation company I can completely rely on and trust. When I need smart surveillance investigators who get the job done right, they are always at the very top of my call list.”
“Excellent communication, insight, and follow-through skills. Very impressed with your surveillance video. Excellent work. Thank you! Will refer to friends in need.”
Names and/or locations altered for client privacy. Read more client reviews →
Where Santa Monica Cases Are Heard
Santa Monica sits roughly 5 miles from Los Angeles, the Los Angeles County seat, where the main Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles facilities are located.
If your Santa Monica matter ends up in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, documentation quality decides whether the evidence helps. We keep chain-of-custody records and write reports in plain chronological order.
About 71% of Santa Monica households rent, and renters move more often — so for process serving and people-location work, we verify a subject’s current address before the first attempt.
Also Serving Near Santa Monica
If your subject lives in Santa Monica but works or travels elsewhere, that’s routine. Nearby areas include:
Straight-line distances from Santa Monica.
How Hiring a Private Investigator in Santa Monica Works
- 1
Free Consultation
Tell a licensed investigator what you know and what you need confirmed. Completely confidential.
- 2
Plan & Estimate
We build a plan around your subject’s routine in Santa Monica and give you a written estimate before any work begins.
- 3
Surveillance
Your investigator documents activity with time-stamped video and keeps you updated.
- 4
Report & Evidence
You receive a clear written report, photos, and video — plus testimony if needed.
Questions About Hiring a Private Investigator in Santa Monica
Do you also cover Venice and Pacific Palisades?
Yes. Venice is about 2 miles from Santa Monica and Pacific Palisades about 3 miles, and both are part of our regular coverage in Southern California.
What does a private investigator in Santa Monica do?
We document facts for personal, family law, business, and legal cases — most often through surveillance, along with background research, people location, witness statements, and process serving.
Do you specialize in surveillance?
Yes. Surveillance has been Bear Witness’s specialty since 1996, and it is part of nearly every case we handle in Santa Monica and across California.
Can you document cohabitation for a spousal support case?
Yes. Under California Family Code section 4323, a supported spouse living with a partner can create a presumption of decreased need for support. We document cohabitation for you and your attorney.
What if the investigation finds nothing?
You get an honest report that says so. A clean result still answers the question.
Do you handle workers’ compensation and insurance claims?
Yes. We conduct claimant surveillance and claim investigations for employers, insurers, and defense counsel.
Do I need to meet in person?
No. Most Santa Monica clients handle everything by phone, from the first call to the final report.
Is everything I tell you confidential?
Yes. Your case is handled by your assigned investigator and never discussed with anyone outside the firm.
How do I verify your license?
Look up PI License #18755 on the California Department of Consumer Affairs license search.
Ready to talk to a private investigator in Santa Monica? Call 1(877)PROOF-24/7 for a free, confidential consultation.