San Francisco & Bay Area Investigations
Based in the city of San Francisco, San Francisco & Bay Area Investigations is a team of dedicated professionals with experience in all types of cases, from domestic matters and workers’ compensation to covert surveillance and counterintelligence.
Our investigators come from backgrounds that matter on a case. The team includes former police officers and other law enforcement professionals, insurance investigators, and experienced private investigators.
Joining the team is not easy. Every investigator must pass a stringent background check, hold the highest integrity, and complete a rigorous training course before working a case for our clients.
Every case is different, so the tools we use depend on its nature and unique factors. What does not change is our standard: we use the best technology available and see each case through to completion.
You stay informed from start to finish. We keep you up to date on all developments, and we share and archive all evidence with the necessary chain of custody.
San Francisco & Bay Area Investigations is licensed by the California Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (CA PI 189051) and insured in accordance with California regulations.
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About Our Founder
San Francisco & Bay Area Investigations is owned and operated by David Abbott, a lifelong San Franciscan. He grew up in the city, went to school here from elementary school onward, and still calls San Francisco home. That local knowledge shapes every case he takes on.
Before becoming a private investigator, Mr. Abbott served as a police officer with the San Francisco Police Department. A graduate of the SFPD Academy, he was stationed at Northern Station, one of the busiest and most diverse districts in the city. He served neighborhoods including the Polk Street Corridor, Pacific Heights, Lower Haight, the Marina, the Western Addition, and Japantown.
On patrol, he handled a high volume of calls for service, investigated a wide range of crimes, conducted traffic enforcement stops, and made numerous misdemeanor and felony arrests. He also completed the 40-hour POST Collision Investigation Course through the San Francisco Police Department.
In 2014, Mr. Abbott brought that experience to the private investigation industry. Since then he has worked for individuals, attorneys, insurance companies, and corporate clients on cases that include domestic surveillance, workers’ compensation investigations, motor vehicle investigations and reconstruction, background checks, TSCM scans (bug sweeps), and witness interviews.
He considers himself a lifelong student. Mr. Abbott holds an associate degree in administration of justice from the College of the Siskiyous, a bachelor’s degree in economics from San Francisco State University, and an MBA from the University of San Francisco. Most recently, he earned a Certificate of Accomplishment in Italian from City College of San Francisco. He is fluent in French and speaks basic Spanish and Italian.
Today, Mr. Abbott leads every investigation with the same commitment he brought to the streets of San Francisco: get the facts, protect the client, and deliver answers you can act on. His knowledge of the city and the greater Bay Area makes him well suited to investigations in this complex and fast-moving environment.