What To Do When Hiring A Private Investigator

Hire a private investigator, much do private investigators make

The reasons for hiring a Private Investigator are varied, ranging from the investigation of a suspected infidelity of a spouse to insurance fraud to finding missing persons etc. Finding a private investigator is a snap with the help of the Yellow Pages or the Internet and your choice of one can be based on myriad of criteria; either alphabetically or a catchy agency name, a location or a logo. But how do you know that the particular Investigator you have chosen is good.

Insurance professionals and lawyers can rely on the recommendation of a colleague. It is not the same for individuals who have to rely on the advice of their lawyer or the impression that they themselves get from interviewing one, to decide whether, when or where to hire one.

We’ll now take a look at the relevant criteria required to make an informed decision.

Licensing
I am Private Detective in Massachusetts and I have to have a license whereas a Private Investigator need not because he is one who is hired by a licensee for the purpose of conducting an investigation. This is a very crucial characteristic since an Investigator can only act on behalf of a licensed employer who has hired him (if not fines between $200 and $1,000 or imprisonment for a year or both could be imposed by law).

In order to practice as a Private Detective and to get such a license you have to be of a prescribed minimum age, sans any criminal record, have a specific number of years of field experience, be bonded and incorporated and produce references from three persons of good repute (unrelated by blood or by marriage) and who have personal knowledge of you for more that three years.

Experience
Again in Massachusetts, notwithstanding a background check and age, three years field experience makes one eligible for a license. But for a Police Officer with a rank higher than that of a Patrolman, ten years of experience is required. A Private Investigator will require more concentration in investigation than an average Patrolman and a Patrolman has little chance of being involved in active investigation till he is promoted as a Sergeant or a Lieutenant.

The Patrolman’s workload and other demands are such that he/she will just not have the time to devote to investigation. The remaining personal time is spent in studying for his promotion. Experience is an essential requirement for getting a license and is definitely a +ve factor in the choice of an agency. In fact some of the leading Private Investigators are retired policemen!
Investigators gain experience from years of on-the-job training and in practical application. This is often under the guidance of a crime scene examiner, photographer or a fire scene examiner. Experience is also obtained from electronic countermeasure technicians etc. As such you will find that investigative agencies usually hire retired firefighters with experience in arson cases, off-duty police personal for personal protection and certified technicians in one field or another.

Specialties
You will find it extremely hard to come across a Private Investigator with enough experience to make him/her a specialist in one particular field because specializing in a particular field will not be profitable as he/she will be called upon to carry out investigations in a variety of areas. As such it is in the best interest of the investigator to diversify his field of experience.

As such it prudent to take into consideration all the above factors before choosing a Private Investigator. Recommendations from relatives, friends and acquaintances help; so also advice from your own attorney.

What To Do When Hiring A Private Investigator

Hire a private investigator, much do private investigators make

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