A private detective or private investigator (PI) is a person who conducts investigations, usually for a private citizen, company or organization. They may also work for attorneys in civil or criminal cases on behalf of a defense attorney or client. Many private investigators work for insurance companies to investigate suspicious insurance claims for that company. Some private investigators are also hired to look for evidence of adultery or other illegal conduct within the marriage to establish grounds for divorce or child custody. Within the private investigation industry, adultery or other “socially unexciting behavior” by spouses and partners is one of the most profitable activities investigators engage in.

Private Detectives also perform procedural notifications, background checks, jump tracking, and locating missing persons. Many agencies across the country specialize in a particular field of expertise. For example, some IP agencies only deal with hop tracking, others may specialize in surveillance, and still others may specialize in error detection, which is locating and eliminating unwanted forms of electronic surveillance often found in cases. of corporate espionage or cases of personal vespers. Some of the many other specialties that a private investigator may have are fraud investigations, bodyguard or personal security details, and computer forensics to name a few.

Private Detectives and Private Investigators often work irregular hours due to the needs of their case that require them to conduct surveillance and communicate with individuals who may or may not be available during normal business hours. Work early in the morning, in the afternoon, on weekends, and on holidays is common. Most Private Detectives and Investigators spend most of their time outside of their offices conducting interviews or surveillance, but some work in their office most of the day conducting computer searches and making phone calls. Those who have their own agencies and employ other investigators may work primarily in an office and have normal business hours. Sometimes an investigation requires the investigator to be armed, such as certain bodyguard assignments for corporate or celebrity clients. Detectives and investigators who carry firearms must be licensed by the appropriate authority in most cases to carry a firearm in service. In most cases, however, a weapon is not necessary, because the purpose of the job is to collect information and not law enforcement or criminal arrest.

Most states require private investigators to be licensed. Some private detectives are ex-police or ex-military, although many do not have that type of professional experience. Many states have strict laws that govern and regulate the private investigation industry in that state. A private investigator often works long hours, keeping detailed notes and videos for reports to provide to his clients, and often spends most of his time in the field doing surveillance-related work. Many private detectives have college degrees or have taken courses related to legal or criminal investigation to better prepare themselves for that particular field of investigation. Private Detectives and Private Investigators often have prior experience in other occupations that prepares them for their career as Private Investigators. Some previously worked for insurance or collection companies, in the private security industry, or as paralegals. Many investigators enter the field after serving in police, military, government audit and investigative positions, or federal intelligence jobs, making them experts in that field of investigation due to their expertise.

Former law enforcement officers, military investigators, and government agents, often become Private Detectives or Private Investigators, others from fields such as finance, accounting, business credit, investigative reporting, insurance, law, etc. These people can often apply their previous work experience in a related research specialty and be considered experts in that field.

Having experience in topics such as criminal justice and police science can be helpful to anyone interested in employing Private Detectives and Private Investigators. Most corporate investigators are required to have a bachelor’s degree, preferably in a business-related field. Some corporate investigators have an MBA or law degree, while others are CPAs. Corporate investigators hired by large companies can receive formal training from their employers on business practices, management structure, and various finance-related topics. The screening process for potential employees generally includes a criminal background check.

Most states require private detectives and private investigators to be licensed in that state. However, the licensing requirements vary dramatically. Seven states (Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Mississippi, Missouri, and South Dakota) have no state-level licensing requirements, other states have very few requirements, and many more states have very strict regulations. A growing number of states are enacting mandatory training programs for private detectives and investigators. For example, the California Department of Consumer Affairs Office of Security and Investigative Services requires private investigators to be 18 years of age or older, have a combination of police science, criminal law, or justice education, and experience equivalent to 3 years (6,000 hours) of investigative experience, pass a criminal background check by the California Department of Justice and the FBI (in most states, convicted criminals cannot be licensed) and receive a score on an exam two-hour writing covering laws and regulations. There are additional requirements for a firearms permit.

Most private detective agencies are small, with little room to move forward since there are no more than one to three private investigators in the firm. Typically, there are no defined ranks or steps, so advancement takes the form of increases in salary and assignment status. Many detectives and investigators work for detective agencies early in their careers and, after a few years, start their own agency after receiving the necessary experience. Corporate and legal investigators can be promoted to supervisor or manager of the security or investigations department.