Private Investigation
The Facts versus the perception
An air of mystery (rarely
discouraged by the industry)
surrounds the working life of a
private investigator, fuelled largely
by portrayals in film, television and
novels. So how realistic are the
perceptions?
Many irrational storylines depict tales of
derring-do and there are occasions when
the fiction and the fact collide. Often when
operatives are managing situations in real
time, especially ‘street work’, there is real
reason for them to be on their mettle. All
thought is focussed on achieving the end
game in a legal and ethical manner and
doing so in a discreet and cost effective
manner. That requires real experience and
considerable confidence.
But a lot of work precedes ‘on the ground’
activity, whether that activity is surveillance,
deploying undercover operatives or simply
making background enquiries in the locale
(simply is emphasized because those
enquiries are often anything but).
The talents required of an investigator
are probably obvious: very accomplished
personal skills; advanced research and
analytical expertise; quickness and
readiness of mind and nowadays a high
competency with IT.
So why are private investigators instructed
and by whom?
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The purpose can be to mitigate risk before
an event;
(i) Is the company/person I’m sending cash
or goods to genuine (due diligence), (ii) my
offspring is getting into a relationship with
a person I have misgivings about (vetting)
(iii) My public profile is important to me. I
need early warning of what is being said
(reputation management).
Or aid in recovering a situation after the
event (i) I need to trace a debtor / errant
director (ii) where have the ill-gotten
gains gone (iii)I need evidence against a
wrongdoer.
Other areas an investigator will be involved
in are specialist rather than general.
Nowadays lawyers have disclosure
responsibilities and ediscovery and
edisclosure research are often within an
investigator’s remit. Cyber protection and
penetration testing together with computer
forensic services are high-end specialisms.
Surveillance and undercover deployment
rely on experience and absolute
confidence as does pure investigation of
theft, fraud and other crimes.
In the main, investigators are discreetly
instructed by lawyers and accountants
whose work requires reliable information
and intelligence which can be produced in
evidence during a legal process. However,
other professionals in journalism, public
relations, security and risk management
often employ the services of an
investigator. Of course, services are also
available to private clients, especially in
personal, familial or matrimonial matters.
It has always been prudent to conduct
research to consolidate a position prior
to taking legal or civil action but with the
expansion of the internet it has become
even more essential. The ever increasing
amount of data voluntarily placed on
the internet combined with the modern
requirement for transparency around how
authorities, companies and individuals
store and disclose personal data has
fundamentally changed the working
practices of the private investigator. Before
even considering a deployment in the field
a professional investigator will exhaust all
avenues of ‘desk-top’ research, including