What is the code of ethics for a private investigator?
One of the biggest things as far as a code of ethics is that you make sure that the case that you're taking on is for a legitimate purpose, that this person that's hiring you has a valid reason for wanting to look into somebody's background, that it's not just their idle curiosity and they want to know. They want to find something out. There are guys out there that will do anything for money. But, for the most part, most private investigators don't do that and there are a couple of reasons for that. One is that if we don't regulate our self, the government will step in and do it for us. So far, that hasn't happened, but eventually people screw up. They'll come in and say, "OK, here are going to be the rules and you'll have to go by them." So we make our own rules and we try to do the right thing by making sure that what we're doing is for legitimate purpose and it's to uphold a really specific law or position that's a legitimate position. The other thing is to gather evidence in a way that's not only ethical, but is legal so that it can be introduced in court. And the biggest rule is to say, is to use the Golden Rule. Would I want somebody being able to look into my life and if they were able to do that, what rules would they have to go by? And, if you keep on that line, then you'll have a good set of ethics.
