What type of education should a private investigator have?
As far as education, it's not necessary to get a criminal justice degree but you should get computer skills, basically searching databases. In terms of the companies that provide that data, you have Choice Point, you have Merlin Data Services, you have a lot of individual different companies, you have the three credit bureaus, and DMV. All of these will provide seminars on how to use their products and how to search their databases. In addition, for specific skills in a specific area of investigation in California, we have the California Association of Licensed Investigators, and there's a National Association and a World Association of Investigators, WAD. Then there's IAN, Investigative Associates. There are a lot of private investigator associations that put on seminars, and you can contact those and sign up and attend a seminar or conventions. The other thing is going to the conventions because you'll meet other investigators and share information and techniques. Investigators like to talk about cases that they've worked on, and how they solved this particular one or that particular one. That's how you learn, just by listening to other people.
