Former detective Brad Schlerf owns and operates Forensic Solutions Inc., the parent company to his cell phone and computer repair businesses.[/caption]

Former Kansas detective Brad Schlerf continues to use his training at Forensic Solutions Inc.—the parent company for 911 Data Recovery and 911 Mobile—where he offers electronic repair services.

Under the umbrella of FSI, Brad offers cell phone repair services, computer repair services and his newest venture, ID verification, at his Conroe-based store.

“There is a definite need in the market for phone repair because there are just a lot of people out there who will rip people off,” he said.

911 Mobile offers customers data recovery, PIN unlocking services and software updates for mobile devices, Brad said. 911 Data Recovery offers similar services for computers, including a monthly service plan for local businesses that includes monthly virus and malware checks, software updates and server updates. On- and off-site server data backup is also offered.

Office Manager Mandi Schlerf, Brad’s daughter-in-law, said no computer is too damaged for Brad and his team to tackle. The team was even able to retrieve security footage from a system that managed to survive a fire. However, the staff does not let customers “waste their money” on unnecessary repairs, either, Mandi said.

“We aren’t going to let you throw cash at a lost cause,” she said. “If it’s completely broken, we will tell you we can’t fix it.”

Later this year Brad said he hopes to open an online store to sell refurbished computers, cell phones and other electronic devices.

“We are also a certified Microsoft refurbisher, which means we can take older computers, refurbish them and put a new Microsoft label on them,” he said. “We sell them with a 90-day to 1-year warranty, and there are only a few of us in the state who can do this.”

The ID verification aspect of FSI was created after Brad heard a story on the news about a woman who was assaulted in her home by an individual she believed worked for Comcast.

“I thought to myself, ‘How could she have identified him?’” Brad said.

His answer was an interactive identification badge with a Quick Response code individuals can scan. Customers can also visit the FSI website and enter the code to find information, such as an individual’s name, business, title and contact information as well as opportunities to send feedback to the individual’s employer.

Brad took the idea even further and created Project Safe ID, which uses the same concept but applies it to children and the elderly in an attempt to keep them safe and provide contact information should they get separated from parents or caregivers.

“This part of the business is not very profitable for us, but we do it because it is the right thing to do,” he said.