Classic films of the genre have been reissued on video and last year's Usual Suspects proved that it is still a viable approach to film. The inspiration for the Hammers' and Marlowes', the authentic private investigator, survives and thrives today with help from the World Wide Web. Former U.S. Justice Department employee now P.I. Joseph Seanor and partner Ed Pankau, have created their own newsgroup alt.private.investigator where cases are discussed and you can find out what new innovative methods are being used by today's Cyber Eyes. Articles focus on money laundering intelligence on-line and virtual banks. Today's Cyber Eyes are using BBS's and Usenet newsgroups to locate suspects who have disappeared without a trace.
Specialized databases allow cyber dicks to trace people electronically based on the person's habits.
Whenever I need to find a person who was once a bowler I can access the database of the American Bowling Congress. In the world of high-tech crimes, virtual banks are creating a problem which may elude normal police investigators. Laundering money is the big ticket which Pankau feels will create problems that most police departments aren't prepared to deal with. Operating electronically is akin to invisible transactions which is the perfect plan for the cartels, the mob, or any criminal organization that does all of its financial transactions in secrecy. The answer is yes - only in the nineties a computer is more important that a Colt 45.