So, you’ve landed on this page for one reason or another. Most likely because you are looking for some type of service a Private Investigator provides or, and I get this often, YOU want to be a Private Investigator.
Well, I’m not going to go over the later. Reason being, is because becoming a Private Investigator varies greatly from state to state and I plan on covering it in another blog post, at a later date. So stay tuned!
For now, let’s discuss what Private Investigators do and in some cases don’t do. What type of person a Private Investigator is and why all this matters to someone needing their services.
Most folks are familiar with some sort of TV or movie Private Investigator. Whether it’s Magnum P.I., Simon & Simon, Barnaby Jones, or a more recent Veronica Mars, most people are naturally intrigued about what Private Investigators do, how they do their spying, and some of the gadgets they use.
A common myth is that all Private Investigators are former law enforcement or ex-military. Although many are be a natural progression from one of those to Private Detective, but it is not always the case. Many prior law enforcement officers and veterans have zero investigative experience. In fact, being a Private Investigator is completely different than being a law enforcement office or soldier. Private Investigators are just that “private”. We hide in the shadows. We learn to blend in or what’s commonly called “hide in plain site”. We don’t wear badges (most of the time), enforce any laws or execute warrants. Unless a sworn officer or has performed undercover work and/ or stakeouts, in their previous lives, then they have a lot to learn themselves. But that’s ok… I too, had much to learn. What is the most valuable tool for a Private Investigator? Common sense. To be able to look at the big picture, dissect that picture into logical details, and make sound judgments.
Private Investigators do not break the law in the performance of their duties. Sure, there are some bad apples just like in any other industry, but the vast majority perform the job in an ethical and legal manner. The Private Investigators that have done unscrupulous things have given the rest of us a not so favorable perception in the eyes of the public. We also don’t “hack” into phones, remotely, or obtain phone records or “ping” a phone’s location or obtain someone’s medical records or track someone illegally. These are common requests and partly because the potential client has seen these things on TV or read about them being done on the internet.