The job of private detectives and investigators is to assist businesses, individuals, and attorneys by way of searching and examining information. They relate smaller clues to unfold facts and resolve mysteries, solve personal matters, and deal with financial problems. Private investigators and detectives offer various services such as corporate, executive, pre-employment verification, celebrity protection, and individual background profiles.
Job Prospect
Some of the private detectives and investigators deal with computer crime such as harassing e-mails, identity theft, and illicit downloading of copyrighted materials. They also help in civil and criminal liability cases, fraud, insurance claims, child protection and custody cases, premarital screening, and missing persons' cases. Sometimes, they are employed to examine individuals to disprove or prove infidelity.
Private detectives and investigators perform most of the tasks using computer, various documents, and recovering deleted e-mails. At times, they may execute computer database searches and work with computer experts to carry out the tasks. Computers permit investigators to access huge information quickly such as convictions, prior arrests, and civil legal judgment, motor vehicle registrations, telephone numbers, photographs, club memberships, and associations.
Investigators and detectives should be mindful of the law while performing investigations. They may keep up with state, local, and federal legislations such as privacy laws and related legal issues affecting their work. The legality of particular methods may be not clear and detectives and investigators should make decision calls when determining how to pursue a case. Private detectives and investigators specialize in a particular area such as developing financial profiles and asset searches.
Computer forensic investigators specialize in presenting, analyzing, and recovering data from computers for use as evidence. They go through the details of instructions into computer, recover deleted passwords and e-mails, and recover data from erased files and encrypted.
Legal investigators facilitate in creating criminal defenses, serving legal documents, assessing evidence, locating witnesses, prospective witnesses, interviewing police, collecting evidence. The work of legal investigators is to gather information on the parties to the legal action, testify in court, take photograph, report for trial, and accumulate evidence.
Corporate investigators conduct external and internal investigations for corporations. External investigations endeavor to prevent criminal schemes from outside the corporation, for example, deceptive billing by a dealer. In some internal investigations, corporate investigators inspect drug use in the place of work, find out whether employees are stealing information or merchandise, and make sure that cost accounts are not abused.
Financial investigators can be employed to develop confidential financial profiles of companies as well as individuals. Financial investigators are certified public accountants. These investigators work closely with accountants and investment bankers. They may search for assets to recuperate damages awarded by a court in theft or fraud cases.
Detectives who serve for hotels or retail stores are accountable for protecting assets and controlling losses. Store detectives are called loss prevention agents. They protect the assets of retail stores by detaining anyone trying to destroy store property or steal merchandise. They attempt to prevent theft by vendor representatives, shoplifters, store employees, and delivery personnel.
Store detectives may conduct periodic inspections of dressing rooms, stock areas, and restrooms. Sometimes, they help in opening and closing the store. They prepare security reports and loss prevention for management. The work of hotel detectives is to protect guests and preserver order in bars and hotel restaurant.
Responsibilities
Work Environment
Investigators and detectives have to spend ample amount of time away from their offices doing surveillance, conducting interviews, making phone calls, and conducting computer searches. Generally, investigators work alone, however, sometimes they need to work with others to perform their tasks efficiently. The job of investigators can be stressful and dangerous. The purpose of these investigators is to collect information and provide it to the concerned authority. Private investigators and detectives work irregular hours. They may work on weekend, evening, and holiday.
Training and Educational Qualification
Many private detectives and investigators have completed college education and have extensive experience in the investigative work. In some states, private detectives and investigators need to be licensed. However, there is no formal education required to grab private investigators and detective jobs. Candidates who have completed courses in police science and criminal justice are helpful to get into this field. Many people get into this profession after completing graduation from college, usually, with an associate degree or a bachelor's degree in police science or criminal justice.