Private Investigator
Stephanie Summers
SEC 493
October 28, 2013
Terence Hunt

Private Investigator
Private investigators have been around for over 150 years, and have become increasingly more popular in response to books and television shows. Many have a stereotypical image of an investigator working in a small, cluttered, and smoky office located in the bad part of town. However, this is not the case. Using an investigator is more common now, than it was 50 years ago. They have offices located in a number of areas and typically have others who also work for them, they also investigate more issues now, than they did in the past.
Private investigators and detectives search for facts and analyze information about financial, legal and person situations. An investigator can offer a variety of services, for instance finding a missing person, computer crimes, verify an individual’s background, marital, and insurance claims are just a few. An investigator works in a variety of environments, some prefer to do most of their research in office by using the internet and making phone calls, whereas others spend more time in the field conducting surveillance and interviews.
Private investigators or detectives typically work for private citizens or businesses. An investigator will often help to solve a crime, however they are not law enforcement officials. Their main goal is collect the information desired by the client. Private investigation is both a contract and proprietary position. The majority of investigators are self-employed and perform a variety of investigative services. A small percentage of investigators work for detective agencies or security services. Most investigators prefer to focus on a specific field based off of their training and experience through the job.
When choosing an investigator, the best option is to look for an investigator that specializes in your needs, they are more likely to have more experience and training in that area and will give a better end result. A good investigator will be able to adapt quickly in any environment. When choosing an investigator one should always interview the candidate, ask about experience, formal education, affiliations, certifications, and request referrals. The costs for an investigator will vary depending on the services that are requested.

References
ExpertLaw. (2002. How To Select A Qualified And Credible Private Investigator. Retrieved from, http://www.expertlaw.com/library/investigators/hiring_investigators.html