For Immediate Release
Contact: Linda Gage, VP Marketing/Media Relations
Eagle’s Nest Publications,LLC
Phone: 864-329-0530
Email: pressroom@bellsouth.net
Credit card statements for restaurants you’ve never been to. Phone bills with unexplained long-distance calls. Trips to “the barber” that take…hours? The signs may be subtle or suddenly knock you over with the realization that your partner or husband could be cheating on you. What do you do now? Find out for sure! Bill Mitchell’s new book, The More You Know--Getting the Evidence and Support You Need to Investigate a Troubled Relationship is a supportive, step-by-step guide that could save your marriage.
“If you suspect, even just a little,” says Mitchell, “that your partner or husband may be cheating on you, you’re living a life of doubt and suspicion that can eat away at you. Any form of adultery puts your life on hold and your finances at risk. You owe it to yourself to find out for sure.”
Mitchell, the “7-Day Detective,” helps you get results in as little as one week.
A licensed private investigator with three decades of experience, he cares about his clients. He helps his clients successfully cope with the reality of infidelity. “What I do in my practice and what I have designed this book to do,” says Mitchell, “is empower women to make decisions, based on fact, that are best for them.”
Whether your partner is starting to wander off or involved in a full-blown affair, it’s better to find out sooner rather than later--and on your terms. Mitchell’s book helps you stay in control, pace yourself, and get the proof you need through an easy, step-by-step action plan.
Mitchell and his work have been featured on the Fox News, Today Show, The Early Show, and Dr. Phil Show. He is heralded by the national media—Ladies Home Journal, Baltimore Sun, Esquire, Chicago Tribune, and more--for his cutting edge and compassionate approach to the crisis of adultery. Mitchell quickly uncovers the truth, wins courtroom decisions, brings closure, and rebuilds lives. The More You Know shows readers how to get the same breakthrough results with the techniques he uses every day.
If you’re living with the pain of not knowing, Mitchell shows you exactly how to quickly take charge of the situation and your life. You’ll learn: what relationships are most at risk, the eight most common warning signs, what to do first and why, insider techniques, investigative strategies that get answers, and--most importantly--how to recover emotionally, financially, and socially.
# # #
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Private Investigations - 101
With school starting back up this fall, students prepared mentally for the challenge. While some focus on new clothes and outward appearances, many look to rekindle relationships. Others begin the grueling practices hoping to gain a spot on the first string.
Student’s minds are filled with anticipation, anxiety, expectation, identity and a host of other emotions. It’s a wonderful time of year. Everyone starts with a new slate, a fresh chance to make the grade and excel. The playing field is new each year.
Likewise each day, private investigators field questions from callers whose needs vary. It’s amazing the types of questions posed them. For example, this morning a female asked me for a copy of a cell phone billing statement, “just one month” she said. I asked her if she was on the account, suspecting she was a victim of infidelity, and “no” she replied. Well then, I told her, that would be a felony to pursue this information and she should be aware of it. That call ended just as quickly as it came in.
Others want to know if a “loved one” or “birthparent” can be found and retain the assistance of a private investigator. To which the answer normally depends. While another client wants help with a neighbor who troubles them. He’s a parolee that spends too much time watching them.
Lawyers engage the services of private investigators to prepare a defense and collect evidence to protect their client’s interest. These cases take shape depending upon the nature and scope of action. Those charged criminally must defend themselves and therefore a private investigator is tasked to unearth witnesses, records, documents, evidence that might change the course of a court battle.
Each assignment has an elements including risk, uncertainly and challenge.
For instance, a private investigator conducting surveillance gets confronted by a subject. This overt confrontation will be the subject of a civil case where the behavior will show a propensity toward conflict and aggressive tendency. This is a twist to that investigation and an unexpected consequence - favorable to one side and not the other.
Most people think private investigator sneak around following seedy people. Unless someone like me, a veteran private investigator myself, with real world insight and more reliable picture, this myth might continue on without merit.
Insurance companies routinely need field investigators when a claim is submitted. And in a tight financial market, disproving a claim with video evidence that controverts allegations, or facts to help deny a claim is very smart business. Too often, claims are exaggerated for monetary reasons which have been in my experience the case for many decades. Workers compensation claims that offer a “total disability” equates to a life time of paying on that one claim. Most insurance clients have no issue with justifiable claims that deserve to be paid out. It’s those individuals who seek to enjoy an “early retirement” or "free ride" that drives premiums upward.
It is not unusual to be asked to perform a service that is “outside” the realm of normal assignments.
People suspect things and are willing to pay for professional help from a private investigator. Some call needing an opinion, insights or strategies to overcome a situation, while others want a letter delivered to an “old flame”. Political parties hire private investigators to conduct backgrounds on their opponents.
And of course, assignments can vary by location.
To define the complete picture of private investigations can only be summed up as “interesting and challenging.” More to follow...... Until then I am -
Bill Mitchell
Private Investigator,
Author, Speaker and Infidelity Expert
Mitchell Reports Investigations, LLC
2131 Woodruff Road, Ste. 2100-299
Greenville, SC 29607 (864) 756-1828
http://www.mitchellreports.com/
Private Investigator offers tips about Spam Email
Great information that we should all read.
By now, I suspect everyone is familiar with www.snopes.com and/or
www.truthorfiction.com for determining whether information received via email
is just that: true/false, or fact/fiction.
Both are excellent sites.
This advice from Snopes.Com <http://Snopes.Com/> is excellent and very important!
1) Any time you see an e-mail that says:
"forward this on to '10' (or however-many) of your friends",
"sign this petition, or you'll get bad luck, good luck", "you'll see something funny on your screen after you send it", or whatever it almost ALWAYS has an e-mail tracker program attached that tracks the cookiesand e-mail addresses of those folks you forward to.
The host sender is getting a copy each time it gets forwarded and then is able to get lists of 'active' e-mail addresses to use in SPAM e-mails, or sell to other spammers.
Even when you get e-mails that demand you send the email on
if you're not ashamed of God/Jesus .....that's e-mail tracking and they're playing on our conscience.
These people don't care how they get your email addresses - just as long asthey get them.
Also, e-mails that talk about a missing child or a child with anincurable disease - "how would you feel if that was your child".....
e-mail tracking!!! Ignore them and don't participate!
2) Almost all e-mails that ask you to add your name and forward on to othersare similar to that mass letter years ago that asked people to send businesscards to the little kid in Florida who wanted to break the Guinness Book ofRecords for the most cards. All it was, and all any of this type of e-mail is,is a way to get names and 'cookie' tracking information for telemarketers andspammers - - to validate active e-mail accounts for their own profitablepurposes.
You can do your friends and family members a GREAT favor by sending thisinformation to them; you will be providing a service to your friends, and willbe rewarded by not getting thousands of spam e-mailsin the future!
If you have been sending out (FORWARDING) the above kinds of e-mail, you now
know why you get so much SPAM!
Do yourself a favor and STOP adding your name(s) to those types of listings regardless of how inviting they might sound or make you feel guilty if youdon't!... it's all about getting email addresses - nothing more!
You may think you are supporting a GREAT cause, but you are NOT!
Instead, you will be getting tons of junk mail later and very possibly a virus attached! Plus, you are helping the spammers get rich! Let's not make iteasy for them!
Also:
E-mail petitions are NOT acceptable to White House, Congress or any other organization -i.e. Social Security, etc. To be acceptable, petitions must have a signed signature and full address of the person signing the petition, so this is a waste of time and you're just helping the e-mail trackers.
Please read the full story here: http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/petition/internet.asp
Also: when forwarding mail, delete the senders name and e-mail address beforeforwarding. You can do this after you click "forward," then just backspace the names and e-mail addresses of those who sent it to you off of the e-mail that you are forwarding.
Bill Mitchell, 7-Day Detective
Mitchell Reports Investigations, LLC
Greenville, SC 29607
(864) 756-1828
http://www.mitchellreports.com
By now, I suspect everyone is familiar with www.snopes.com and/or
www.truthorfiction.com for determining whether information received via email
is just that: true/false, or fact/fiction.
Both are excellent sites.
This advice from Snopes.Com <http://Snopes.Com/> is excellent and very important!
1) Any time you see an e-mail that says:
"forward this on to '10' (or however-many) of your friends",
"sign this petition, or you'll get bad luck, good luck", "you'll see something funny on your screen after you send it", or whatever it almost ALWAYS has an e-mail tracker program attached that tracks the cookiesand e-mail addresses of those folks you forward to.
The host sender is getting a copy each time it gets forwarded and then is able to get lists of 'active' e-mail addresses to use in SPAM e-mails, or sell to other spammers.
Even when you get e-mails that demand you send the email on
if you're not ashamed of God/Jesus .....that's e-mail tracking and they're playing on our conscience.
These people don't care how they get your email addresses - just as long asthey get them.
Also, e-mails that talk about a missing child or a child with anincurable disease - "how would you feel if that was your child".....
e-mail tracking!!! Ignore them and don't participate!
2) Almost all e-mails that ask you to add your name and forward on to othersare similar to that mass letter years ago that asked people to send businesscards to the little kid in Florida who wanted to break the Guinness Book ofRecords for the most cards. All it was, and all any of this type of e-mail is,is a way to get names and 'cookie' tracking information for telemarketers andspammers - - to validate active e-mail accounts for their own profitablepurposes.
You can do your friends and family members a GREAT favor by sending thisinformation to them; you will be providing a service to your friends, and willbe rewarded by not getting thousands of spam e-mailsin the future!
If you have been sending out (FORWARDING) the above kinds of e-mail, you now
know why you get so much SPAM!
Do yourself a favor and STOP adding your name(s) to those types of listings regardless of how inviting they might sound or make you feel guilty if youdon't!... it's all about getting email addresses - nothing more!
You may think you are supporting a GREAT cause, but you are NOT!
Instead, you will be getting tons of junk mail later and very possibly a virus attached! Plus, you are helping the spammers get rich! Let's not make iteasy for them!
Also:
E-mail petitions are NOT acceptable to White House, Congress or any other organization -i.e. Social Security, etc. To be acceptable, petitions must have a signed signature and full address of the person signing the petition, so this is a waste of time and you're just helping the e-mail trackers.
Please read the full story here: http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/petition/internet.asp
Also: when forwarding mail, delete the senders name and e-mail address beforeforwarding. You can do this after you click "forward," then just backspace the names and e-mail addresses of those who sent it to you off of the e-mail that you are forwarding.
Bill Mitchell, 7-Day Detective
Mitchell Reports Investigations, LLC
Greenville, SC 29607
(864) 756-1828
http://www.mitchellreports.com
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Private Dectectives, Private Investigators & Private Eyes
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics the following information about my industry - private investigators is very informative and accurate.
Nature of the Work
Private detectives and investigators assist individuals, businesses, and attorneys by finding and analyzing information. They connect small clues to solve mysteries or to uncover facts about legal, financial, or personal matters. Private detectives and investigators offer many services, including executive, corporate, and celebrity protection; pre-employment verification; and individual background profiles. Some investigate computer crimes, such as identity theft, harassing e-mails, and illegal downloading of copyrighted material. They also provide assistance in criminal and civil liability cases, insurance claims and fraud, child custody and protection cases, missing persons cases, and premarital screening. They are sometimes hired to investigate individuals to prove or disprove infidelity.
Private detectives and investigators have many methods to choose from when determining the facts in a case. Much of their work is done using a computer, recovering deleted e-mails and documents, for example. They may also perform computer database searches or work with someone who does. Computers allow investigators to quickly obtain huge amounts of information such as a subject’s prior arrests, convictions, and civil legal judgments; telephone numbers; motor vehicle registrations; association and club memberships; and even photographs.
Detectives and investigators also perform various other types of surveillance or searches. To verify facts, such as an individual’s income or place of employment, they may make phone calls or visit a subject’s workplace. In other cases, especially those involving missing persons and background checks, investigators interview people to gather as much information as possible about an individual. Sometimes investigators go undercover, pretending to be someone else to get information or to observe a subject inconspicuously.
Most detectives and investigators are trained to perform physical surveillance, which may be high-tech or low-tech. They may observe a site, such as the home of a subject, from an inconspicuous location or a vehicle. Using photographic and video cameras, binoculars, and cell phones, detectives often use surveillance to gather information on an individual; this can be quite time consuming.
The duties of private detectives and investigators depend on the needs of their clients. In cases that involve fraudulent workers’ compensation claims, for example, investigators may carry out long-term covert observation of a person suspected of fraud. If an investigator observes him or her performing an activity that contradicts injuries stated in a worker’s compensation claim, the investigator would take video or still photographs to document the activity and report it to the client.
Detectives and investigators must be mindful of the law when conducting investigations. They keep up with Federal, State, and local legislation, such as privacy laws and other legal issues affecting their work. The legality of certain methods may be unclear, and investigators and detectives must make judgment calls when deciding how to pursue a case. They must also know how to collect evidence properly so that they do not compromise its admissibility in court.
Private detectives and investigators often specialize. Those who focus on intellectual property theft, for example, investigate and document acts of piracy, help clients stop illegal activity, and provide intelligence for prosecution and civil action. Other investigators specialize in developing financial profiles and asset searches. Their reports reflect information gathered through interviews, investigation and surveillance, and research, including review of public documents.
Computer forensic investigators specialize in recovering, analyzing, and presenting data from computers for use in investigations or as evidence. They determine the details of intrusions into computer systems, recover data from encrypted or erased files, and recover e-mails and deleted passwords.
Legal investigators assist in preparing criminal defenses, locating witnesses, serving legal documents, interviewing police and prospective witnesses, and gathering and reviewing evidence. Legal investigators also may collect information on the parties to the litigation, take photographs, testify in court, and assemble evidence and reports for trials. They often work for law firms or lawyers.
Corporate investigators conduct internal and external investigations for corporations. In internal investigations, they may investigate drug use in the workplace, ensure that expense accounts are not abused, or determine whether employees are stealing merchandise or information. External investigations attempt to thwart criminal schemes from outside the corporation, such as fraudulent billing by a supplier.
Financial investigators may be hired to develop confidential financial profiles of individuals or companies that are prospective parties to large financial transactions. These investigators often are certified public accountants (CPAs) who work closely with investment bankers and other accountants. They might also search for assets in order to recover damages awarded by a court in fraud or theft cases.
Detectives who work for retail stores or hotels are responsible for controlling losses and protecting assets. Store detectives, also known as loss prevention agents, safeguard the assets of retail stores by apprehending anyone attempting to steal merchandise or destroy store property. They prevent theft by shoplifters, vendor representatives, delivery personnel and even store employees. Store detectives also conduct periodic inspections of stock areas, dressing rooms, and restrooms, and sometimes assist in opening and closing the store. They may prepare loss prevention and security reports for management and testify in court against people they apprehend. Hotel detectives protect guests of the establishment from theft of their belongings and preserve order in hotel restaurants and bars. They also may keep undesirable individuals, such as known thieves, off the premises.
Work environment. Many detectives and investigators spend time away from their offices conducting interviews or doing surveillance, but some work in their office most of the day conducting computer searches and making phone calls. When the investigator is working on a case, the environment might range from plush boardrooms to seedy bars. Store and hotel detectives work in the businesses that they protect.
Investigators generally work alone, but they sometimes work with others during surveillance or when following a subject in order to avoid detection by the subject. Some of the work involves confrontation, so the job can be stressful and dangerous. Some situations call for the investigator to be armed, such as certain bodyguard assignments for corporate or celebrity clients. In most cases, however, a weapon is not necessary because the purpose of the work is gathering information and not law enforcement or criminal apprehension. Owners of investigative agencies have the added stress of having to deal with demanding and sometimes distraught clients.
Private detectives and investigators often work irregular hours because of the need to conduct surveillance and contact people who are not available during normal working hours. Early morning, evening, weekend, and holiday work is common.
Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement
Most private detectives and investigators have some college education and previous experience in investigative work. In most States, they are required to be licensed.
Education and training. There are no formal education requirements for most private detective and investigator jobs, although many have college degrees. Courses in criminal justice and police science are helpful to aspiring private detectives and investigators. Although related experience is usually required, some people enter the occupation directly after graduation from college, generally with an associate or bachelor’s degree in criminal justice or police science. The 2006 educational attainment for private detectives and investigators, in percent, was as follows:
Percent
High school graduate or equivalent 18
Some college, no degree 26
Associate's degree 8
Bachelor's degree 34
Master's degree 13
Professional degree or PhD 3
Most corporate investigators must have a bachelor’s degree, preferably in a business-related field. Some corporate investigators have a master’s degree in business administration or a law degree; others are CPAs.
For computer forensics work, a computer science or accounting degree is more helpful than a criminal justice degree. An accounting degree provides good background knowledge for investigating fraud through computer forensics. Either of these two degrees provides a good starting point after which investigative techniques can be learned on the job. Alternatively, many colleges and universities now offer certificate programs, requiring from 15 to 21 credits, in computer forensics. These programs are most beneficial to law enforcement officers, paralegals, or others who are already involved in investigative work. A few colleges and universities now offer bachelor’s or master’s degrees in computer forensics, and others are planning to begin offering such degrees.
Most of the work of private detectives and investigators is learned on the job. New investigators will usually start by learning how to use databases to gather information. The training they receive depends on the type of firm. At an insurance company, a new investigator will learn to recognize insurance fraud. At a firm that specializes in domestic cases, a new worker might observe a senior investigator performing surveillance. Learning by doing, in which new investigators are put on cases and gain skills as they go, is a common approach. Corporate investigators hired by large companies, however, may receive formal training in business practices, management structure, and various finance-related topics.
Because they work with changing technologies, computer forensic investigators never stop training. They learn the latest methods of fraud detection and new software programs and operating systems by attending conferences and courses offered by software vendors and professional associations.
Licensure. The majority of States and the District of Columbia require private detectives and investigators to be licensed. Licensing requirements vary, however. Seven States—Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Mississippi, Missouri, and South Dakota—have no Statewide licensing requirements, some States have few requirements, and many others have stringent regulations.
For example, the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services of the California Department of Consumer Affairs requires private investigators to be 18 years of age or older; have a combination of education in police science, criminal law, or justice and experience equaling 3 years (6,000 hours); pass a criminal history background check by the California Department of Justice and the FBI (in most States, convicted felons cannot be issued a license); and receive a qualifying score on a 2-hour written examination covering laws and regulations. Detectives and investigators in all States who carry handguns must meet additional requirements for a firearms permit.
There are no licenses specifically for computer forensic investigators, but some States require them to be licensed private investigators. Even where licensure is not required, a private investigator license is useful to some because it allows them to perform follow-up or complementary tasks.
Other qualifications. Private detectives and investigators typically have previous experience in other occupations. Some have worked in other occupations for insurance or collections companies, in the private security industry, or as paralegals. Many investigators enter the field after serving in law enforcement, the military, government auditing and investigative positions, or Federal intelligence jobs. Former law enforcement officers, military investigators, and government agents, who are frequently able to retire after 25 years of service, often become private detectives or investigators in a second career.
Others enter from jobs in finance, accounting, commercial credit, investigative reporting, insurance, and law. These individuals often can apply their prior work experience in a related investigative specialty.
Most computer forensic investigators learn their trade while working for a law enforcement agency, either as a sworn officer or a civilian computer forensic analyst. They are trained at their agency’s computer forensics training program. Many people enter law enforcement specifically to get this training and establish a reputation before moving to the private sector.
For private detective and investigator jobs, most employers look for individuals with ingenuity, persistence, and assertiveness. A candidate must not be afraid of confrontation, should communicate well, and should be able to think on his or her feet. Good interviewing and interrogation skills also are important and usually are acquired in earlier careers in law enforcement or other fields. Because the courts often are the judge of a properly conducted investigation, the investigator must be able to present the facts in a manner that a jury will believe. The screening process for potential employees typically includes a background check for a criminal history.
Certification and advancement. Some investigators receive certification from a professional organization to demonstrate competency in a field. For example, the National Association of Legal Investigators confers the Certified Legal Investigator designation to licensed investigators who devote a majority of their practice to negligence or criminal defense investigations. To receive the designation, applicants must satisfy experience, educational, and continuing-training requirements and must pass written and oral exams.
ASIS, a trade organization for the security industry, offers the Professional Certified Investigator certification. To qualify, applicants must have a high school diploma or equivalent; have 5 years of investigations experience, including 2 years managing investigations; and must pass an exam.
Most private-detective agencies are small, with little room for advancement. Usually, there are no defined ranks or steps, so advancement takes the form of increases in salary and assignment status. Many detectives and investigators start their own firms after gaining a few years of experience. Corporate and legal investigators may rise to supervisor or manager of the security or investigations department.
Private detectives and investigators assist individuals, businesses, and attorneys by finding and analyzing information. They connect small clues to solve mysteries or to uncover facts about legal, financial, or personal matters. Private detectives and investigators offer many services, including executive, corporate, and celebrity protection; pre-employment verification; and individual background profiles. Some investigate computer crimes, such as identity theft, harassing e-mails, and illegal downloading of copyrighted material. They also provide assistance in criminal and civil liability cases, insurance claims and fraud, child custody and protection cases, missing persons cases, and premarital screening. They are sometimes hired to investigate individuals to prove or disprove infidelity.
Private detectives and investigators have many methods to choose from when determining the facts in a case. Much of their work is done using a computer, recovering deleted e-mails and documents, for example. They may also perform computer database searches or work with someone who does. Computers allow investigators to quickly obtain huge amounts of information such as a subject’s prior arrests, convictions, and civil legal judgments; telephone numbers; motor vehicle registrations; association and club memberships; and even photographs.
Detectives and investigators also perform various other types of surveillance or searches. To verify facts, such as an individual’s income or place of employment, they may make phone calls or visit a subject’s workplace. In other cases, especially those involving missing persons and background checks, investigators interview people to gather as much information as possible about an individual. Sometimes investigators go undercover, pretending to be someone else to get information or to observe a subject inconspicuously.
Most detectives and investigators are trained to perform physical surveillance, which may be high-tech or low-tech. They may observe a site, such as the home of a subject, from an inconspicuous location or a vehicle. Using photographic and video cameras, binoculars, and cell phones, detectives often use surveillance to gather information on an individual; this can be quite time consuming.
The duties of private detectives and investigators depend on the needs of their clients. In cases that involve fraudulent workers’ compensation claims, for example, investigators may carry out long-term covert observation of a person suspected of fraud. If an investigator observes him or her performing an activity that contradicts injuries stated in a worker’s compensation claim, the investigator would take video or still photographs to document the activity and report it to the client.
Detectives and investigators must be mindful of the law when conducting investigations. They keep up with Federal, State, and local legislation, such as privacy laws and other legal issues affecting their work. The legality of certain methods may be unclear, and investigators and detectives must make judgment calls when deciding how to pursue a case. They must also know how to collect evidence properly so that they do not compromise its admissibility in court.
Private detectives and investigators often specialize. Those who focus on intellectual property theft, for example, investigate and document acts of piracy, help clients stop illegal activity, and provide intelligence for prosecution and civil action. Other investigators specialize in developing financial profiles and asset searches. Their reports reflect information gathered through interviews, investigation and surveillance, and research, including review of public documents.
Computer forensic investigators specialize in recovering, analyzing, and presenting data from computers for use in investigations or as evidence. They determine the details of intrusions into computer systems, recover data from encrypted or erased files, and recover e-mails and deleted passwords.
Legal investigators assist in preparing criminal defenses, locating witnesses, serving legal documents, interviewing police and prospective witnesses, and gathering and reviewing evidence. Legal investigators also may collect information on the parties to the litigation, take photographs, testify in court, and assemble evidence and reports for trials. They often work for law firms or lawyers.
Corporate investigators conduct internal and external investigations for corporations. In internal investigations, they may investigate drug use in the workplace, ensure that expense accounts are not abused, or determine whether employees are stealing merchandise or information. External investigations attempt to thwart criminal schemes from outside the corporation, such as fraudulent billing by a supplier.
Financial investigators may be hired to develop confidential financial profiles of individuals or companies that are prospective parties to large financial transactions. These investigators often are certified public accountants (CPAs) who work closely with investment bankers and other accountants. They might also search for assets in order to recover damages awarded by a court in fraud or theft cases.
Detectives who work for retail stores or hotels are responsible for controlling losses and protecting assets. Store detectives, also known as loss prevention agents, safeguard the assets of retail stores by apprehending anyone attempting to steal merchandise or destroy store property. They prevent theft by shoplifters, vendor representatives, delivery personnel and even store employees. Store detectives also conduct periodic inspections of stock areas, dressing rooms, and restrooms, and sometimes assist in opening and closing the store. They may prepare loss prevention and security reports for management and testify in court against people they apprehend. Hotel detectives protect guests of the establishment from theft of their belongings and preserve order in hotel restaurants and bars. They also may keep undesirable individuals, such as known thieves, off the premises.
Work environment. Many detectives and investigators spend time away from their offices conducting interviews or doing surveillance, but some work in their office most of the day conducting computer searches and making phone calls. When the investigator is working on a case, the environment might range from plush boardrooms to seedy bars. Store and hotel detectives work in the businesses that they protect.
Investigators generally work alone, but they sometimes work with others during surveillance or when following a subject in order to avoid detection by the subject. Some of the work involves confrontation, so the job can be stressful and dangerous. Some situations call for the investigator to be armed, such as certain bodyguard assignments for corporate or celebrity clients. In most cases, however, a weapon is not necessary because the purpose of the work is gathering information and not law enforcement or criminal apprehension. Owners of investigative agencies have the added stress of having to deal with demanding and sometimes distraught clients.
Private detectives and investigators often work irregular hours because of the need to conduct surveillance and contact people who are not available during normal working hours. Early morning, evening, weekend, and holiday work is common.
Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement
Most private detectives and investigators have some college education and previous experience in investigative work. In most States, they are required to be licensed.
Education and training. There are no formal education requirements for most private detective and investigator jobs, although many have college degrees. Courses in criminal justice and police science are helpful to aspiring private detectives and investigators. Although related experience is usually required, some people enter the occupation directly after graduation from college, generally with an associate or bachelor’s degree in criminal justice or police science. The 2006 educational attainment for private detectives and investigators, in percent, was as follows:
Percent
High school graduate or equivalent 18
Some college, no degree 26
Associate's degree 8
Bachelor's degree 34
Master's degree 13
Professional degree or PhD 3
Most corporate investigators must have a bachelor’s degree, preferably in a business-related field. Some corporate investigators have a master’s degree in business administration or a law degree; others are CPAs.
For computer forensics work, a computer science or accounting degree is more helpful than a criminal justice degree. An accounting degree provides good background knowledge for investigating fraud through computer forensics. Either of these two degrees provides a good starting point after which investigative techniques can be learned on the job. Alternatively, many colleges and universities now offer certificate programs, requiring from 15 to 21 credits, in computer forensics. These programs are most beneficial to law enforcement officers, paralegals, or others who are already involved in investigative work. A few colleges and universities now offer bachelor’s or master’s degrees in computer forensics, and others are planning to begin offering such degrees.
Most of the work of private detectives and investigators is learned on the job. New investigators will usually start by learning how to use databases to gather information. The training they receive depends on the type of firm. At an insurance company, a new investigator will learn to recognize insurance fraud. At a firm that specializes in domestic cases, a new worker might observe a senior investigator performing surveillance. Learning by doing, in which new investigators are put on cases and gain skills as they go, is a common approach. Corporate investigators hired by large companies, however, may receive formal training in business practices, management structure, and various finance-related topics.
Because they work with changing technologies, computer forensic investigators never stop training. They learn the latest methods of fraud detection and new software programs and operating systems by attending conferences and courses offered by software vendors and professional associations.
Licensure. The majority of States and the District of Columbia require private detectives and investigators to be licensed. Licensing requirements vary, however. Seven States—Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Mississippi, Missouri, and South Dakota—have no Statewide licensing requirements, some States have few requirements, and many others have stringent regulations.
For example, the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services of the California Department of Consumer Affairs requires private investigators to be 18 years of age or older; have a combination of education in police science, criminal law, or justice and experience equaling 3 years (6,000 hours); pass a criminal history background check by the California Department of Justice and the FBI (in most States, convicted felons cannot be issued a license); and receive a qualifying score on a 2-hour written examination covering laws and regulations. Detectives and investigators in all States who carry handguns must meet additional requirements for a firearms permit.
There are no licenses specifically for computer forensic investigators, but some States require them to be licensed private investigators. Even where licensure is not required, a private investigator license is useful to some because it allows them to perform follow-up or complementary tasks.
Other qualifications. Private detectives and investigators typically have previous experience in other occupations. Some have worked in other occupations for insurance or collections companies, in the private security industry, or as paralegals. Many investigators enter the field after serving in law enforcement, the military, government auditing and investigative positions, or Federal intelligence jobs. Former law enforcement officers, military investigators, and government agents, who are frequently able to retire after 25 years of service, often become private detectives or investigators in a second career.
Others enter from jobs in finance, accounting, commercial credit, investigative reporting, insurance, and law. These individuals often can apply their prior work experience in a related investigative specialty.
Most computer forensic investigators learn their trade while working for a law enforcement agency, either as a sworn officer or a civilian computer forensic analyst. They are trained at their agency’s computer forensics training program. Many people enter law enforcement specifically to get this training and establish a reputation before moving to the private sector.
For private detective and investigator jobs, most employers look for individuals with ingenuity, persistence, and assertiveness. A candidate must not be afraid of confrontation, should communicate well, and should be able to think on his or her feet. Good interviewing and interrogation skills also are important and usually are acquired in earlier careers in law enforcement or other fields. Because the courts often are the judge of a properly conducted investigation, the investigator must be able to present the facts in a manner that a jury will believe. The screening process for potential employees typically includes a background check for a criminal history.
Certification and advancement. Some investigators receive certification from a professional organization to demonstrate competency in a field. For example, the National Association of Legal Investigators confers the Certified Legal Investigator designation to licensed investigators who devote a majority of their practice to negligence or criminal defense investigations. To receive the designation, applicants must satisfy experience, educational, and continuing-training requirements and must pass written and oral exams.
ASIS, a trade organization for the security industry, offers the Professional Certified Investigator certification. To qualify, applicants must have a high school diploma or equivalent; have 5 years of investigations experience, including 2 years managing investigations; and must pass an exam.
Most private-detective agencies are small, with little room for advancement. Usually, there are no defined ranks or steps, so advancement takes the form of increases in salary and assignment status. Many detectives and investigators start their own firms after gaining a few years of experience. Corporate and legal investigators may rise to supervisor or manager of the security or investigations department.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Private Investigator Greenville SC
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)