By: Erin Smith
The Elizabethtown-White Lake Area Chamber of Commerce held their monthly luncheon meeting on Tuesday at the Cape Fear Farmer’s Market in Elizabethtown. The guest speakers were CVI, Inc. owner Tracey Trivette and Investigator Jerry Price.
Tracey Trivette, CVI owner, told the group that CVI is a private investigations firm and the full name is Cerno Veritas, Inc. He said that Cerno Veritas means to distinguish, determine or ascertain the truth.
After explaining the meaning of the company’s name, Trivette, then introduced Jerry Price, a private investigator with the firm. Price spoke about his time spent working with the Secret Service.
“I’ve always enjoyed coming before people,” said Price.
He said he is originally from Selma and joined the Marine Corps before attending George Mason University where he had mentor who was former Secret Service agent. Price said before he had his degree completed, he had completed his background check for the Secret Service.
Price said he spent the next 25 years working with the Secret Service, first in uniform division then as an agent.
Price discussed some of the history of the agency. He said the Secret Service has a dual mission role. It was established in 1865 and at that time the agency did not perform presidential security service. Price said that changed in 1901 with the assignation of President McKinley.
He explained the Service Service was created by Abraham Lincoln to combat counterfeiters.
The modern Secret Service does so much more including protecting presidents, former presidents and their wives until the end of their lives.
Prior to becoming an agent, Price said he began his career in with the Secret Service as a member of the uniform patrol division. After becoming an agent, Price worked on the presidential security detail among other roles.
Price said he had the honor of serving on the presidential security detail for Presidents Jimmy Carter, Ronald Regan, George Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W Bush.
He said when he left the Washington, DC bureau office he went to the agency’s New York City office. While there, Price said he did some presidential advance work when the president would have engagements in New York City.
Price explained that the advance work entitled such things as setting up security. Price said the New York City office was not a large agency so as part of his advance work, he would go out to local law enforcement agencies and request their assistance.
Price said he also studied computers on his own time. As a result, while he was working in the New York office, Price established a new squad there that dealt with electronic crimes.
“We did a lot of cellular telephone cases. At the time the signal was analog and guys were cloning cell phones,” said Price.
He added that doesn’t occur as much with the digital signals that are available today.
Price said he has also performed undercover work and computer forensics and has worked in the financial crimes division.
Price said he was also sent to Pittsburg, PA to work with a computer emergency response team at Carnegie Mellon.
“To this day they still have an agent there,” said Price.
Price said that after the 911 terrorist attacks, he traveled to the World Trade Center to search for a co-worker killed in attack. He recounted how rescuers found his co-workers bullet proof vest and he theorized that his co-worker was rendering assistance to the injured on the sidewalk in front of the World Trade Center when it collapsed.
Price retired in 2002 and served three years as a federal air marshal.
He is a volunteer fireman at Pine Knoll Shores as well as an aquarium volunteer.
In other business:
**Chamber President Charlotte Smith presented Dawn Maynard with a new name plaque and announced Tiina Mundy is the Chamber President-elect.
**Smith reminded those present that a new Chamber program, the Chamber Ambassador program will meet on March 17.
About Author
