By Roda Grubb

Who better to guide you in your security needs than James Bond himself? Well, not quite, but Ric Tamez spent 18 years as a police officer with the McAllen PD before choosing to become a private eye. All those years in law enforcement taught him one thing – people need someone else to teach them about the variety of protection gizmos available on the market – be it cameras, alert and security products, or alarms, to name a few.

“I came up with the idea of a spy shop because I found I was so interested in spy equipment when I went to private investigators’ conferences and shows,” Tamez said. “I decided it would be a good idea to have a spy shop in South Texas.”

One out of only approximately 40 similarly styled shops in the country, Tamez feels privileged to offer the opportunity to people in the area to come to a walk-in store to learn about the various items which intrigue them.

He delights in helping his customers find the right solutions for their needs. One of the top sellers is cameras.

“People are quite aware we live in a transparent world and want to put cameras inside homes to watch over their elderly parents or children who have caregivers,” Tamez explained. “I believe it’s best to inform the caregiver of the cameras in order to avoid any possible harm to the person being watched.”

GPS trackers are their hottest selling item.

“We sell trackers for people who want them for their business to track employees,” he continued. “Phones don’t have the accuracy GPS trackers do.”

Attending as many McAllen Chamber of Commerce functions as possible, Tamez is a firm believer in the work of the Chamber.

“There’s no doubt that we, as businesses, can see the effort they put out for us. From a small business perspective, we feel they go out of their way to help us with ideas to nourish small businesses as we move along.”

Grateful to be able to serve the people for their security needs, Tamez, a born-again Christian,  thanks God for the success he’s had.