Most often, police forces are left to deal with the majority of crimes in the United States. However, what if there is someone whose identity needs to be checked or someone who needs to be found in order to fulfill a bail requirement? These things are not usually left to police forces but to private or professional investigators.
How to Become a Private Investigator
Becoming a private investigator is not as simple as signing up, taking a class, and becoming licensed. According to PIMagazine, every state has slightly different rules and requirements for becoming a private detective investigator. However, all of them require that applicants looking to become professional investigators meet a minimum level of experience in police or investigative work.
Who Do Professional Investigators Work For?
Professional investigators take on work from a wide variety of clients, ranging from individual citizens to businesses to governments. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 25% of private detectives work for the government. An additional 25% are self-employed.
Most Common Jobs for Professional Investigators
One of the most commonly asked questions about professional investigators is “what does a private investigator do”. Following someone to see where he or she goes and what he or she does is the most common task associated with professional investigators. However, it would be more accurate to say that these investigators are scouts, reconnaissance experts, and intelligence workers.
The fact is that much of what professional investigators do is background investigations, surveillance, skip traces, and searches for missing persons. Further, they are adept at using databases and other forms of information to find what they need quickly. In fact, some private investigators know how to utilize databases to check multiple record sources at once. Many of these are not available to the general public.
Cost of Private Investigator Services
Just like any other service, those offered by professional investigators working at corporate intelligence services or those operating freelance vary in price. Mary Clare Houghes writes in “Cost of Hiring a Private Detective or Investigator” that the cost of hiring professional investigators varies based on the experience of the detective, the type of job, location, and many other factors. The key to finding the best professional investigators for a job is to do research on the detectives that specialize in that kind of work. It should be noted, regardless of the cost, that you get what you pay for.
As can be seen, professional investigators provide a vital service to governments, businesses, and individuals looking to have questions answered. If you are in need of a private detective, use the internet and personal recommendations to find one who fits your needs. Read more.