Private Investigation Basics
What is a 'private investigator'?
If it's the government that's hiring you, whether it's the District Attorney's office or a city attorney, or even the city council or something like that, those people want to get an independent opinion or investigation done that's different from the one that law enforcement has done.
How does a private investigator differ from a police detective?
What type of background should a private investigator have?
The criteria for becoming a private investigator in California, other states are a little different, but California is you have to work for another investigator, or work in the investigative field, basically on an apprenticeship basis for at least three years, 6000 hours total. That could be working as an investigator in law enforcement, or working as an investigative reporter in the news media, or working for an attorney, or working for another licensed private investigator. All of these, the techniques are the same. We have to know how to research public records - there are many databases that you have to learn how to use, sometimes it's observation, surveillance, interviews. All those things combined to give you the ability to find the truth of the situation. And that's what it takes.
What type of education should a private investigator have?
The initial education for a private investigator is, as I've said before, regarding apprenticeship You work under another private investigator. You work under an investigator that's in law enforcement or investigative journalism. But there are certain aspects where there is specialized investigations, where they're getting into forensics. Some investigators will specialize in things. There are polygraph operators, or they'll be experts on computer crimes, or there will be experts on handwriting analysis. They go and they get specialized education regarding that. And there are a lot of colleges that offer those kind of courses. Plus there are associations. In California we have what is called CALI, California Association of Licensed Investigators. And we hold seminars on everything from data base research, to surveillance, to photography, to interview techniques. All that is available through those associations and through colleges.
What types of characteristics should a private investigator have?
A private investigator has to have a curiosity and an analytical mind. It's nothing like you see on TV or in movies. They have to look at a problem and a lot of times put themselves in the shoes of the person committing either the crime or the particular act that they are looking into and say, "if I was this guy, how would I do it?" Very rarely is information gathered through confrontation. You gather information through observation. You have to be very good at observation, you have to have a good memory, and you have to be ready to take notes on things that you have. You have to be credible, and you have to be willing to say when you screw up rather than trying to cover up a mistake that you make. This is because later on if you do not come off as being credible, because sometimes what you find out ends up in court, you will soon get a reputation as somebody who will make up the answer. You are never ever hired to defend a specific position. That's what the person tries to hire you for, but you are hired to find out the truth. You can't be a guy who's willing to take a buck to do anything to solve that person's problem.
How can I find and hire a private investigator?
Almost every state at least has a license investigator association. You can go in California and contact a group called CALI; California Association of Licensed Investigators. They have a directory that you can even look through online and it will give you specific categories. If you need a polygrapher, somebody that specializes in surveillance, somebody who specializes in domestic cases, forensic cases or computer crimes; any particular field that you're looking for as a private investigator can be found in the state association for that particular state.
How much does a private investigator charge?
I personally charge $150 an hour, and that hour starts when the phone rings. I've seen private investigators charge as much as $500 an hour which I think is outrageous, but they get it. They're Beverly Hills PI's that people have money to throw away. But $150 an hour or a flat day rate, in my case my day rate is $500 a day, plus all my expenses, my mileage and any incidental expenses. But if I'm on the hourly it's $150 an hour. After four hours it's considered a day. And you get a break cut.
When can I expect results from a private investigation?
If you want to get the truth of something, don't rush your investigator. Don't try to be corner backing what he's doing. He has been doing what he's doing for a long time. Let him do his thing! And, a good investigator would say “I will try to come back to you in a couple of days with a progress report”. Ask for a progress reports! Don't just give money that expected to get some sort of answers, but don't expect him to have the answer in 20 minutes! If you want a good investigation you would give him the time to do it.
How do I know if the private investigator is legitimate?
In California you can go to the state website 'Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS)'. It's part of the department of consumer affairs website, which you can find by Google ‘California department consumer affairs' or whatever the state you are in, and the private investigator will have a license if they are licensed. On the California website, the licenses are sorted by the company name and not by the individual name so sometimes the person can have a license and it may be under his company name. Therefore you may not find it under his name but you'll be able to verify his licence. Fact: A licensed private investigator can hire hundreds of people for investigative work under their personal licenses.
