How do private investigators work

They may be able to look through the trash if it is legal in that location and not on private property. They can also interview friends, family members, associates, and neighbors to learn more about the person or to find out where they might be. They can gather the information over some time and then report back to the person who hired them with all of the information they have found. Private investigators can do quite a bit to get more information about people they are hired to learn about.

However, they are required to follow local and federal laws, which means there are certain things that private investigators cannot do, such as arresting someone.

A licensed private investigator will understand what they can and cannot do to get the information needed to build a strong case, which means that if your case goes to court, you can be confident that the evidence will stand up to legal scrutiny. If you have more questions about what a private investigator can and cannot do, call the professionals at John Cutter Investigations at and speak with a licensed PI today.

Why are Private Investigators hired and who hires them? Can a private investigator arrest someone? Can private investigators carry a badge? Can private investigators trespass? Laws Prohibit Private Investigators from Wiretapping Private investigators can gain a lot of information by listening in to a conversation, but they need to be very careful when doing so. So what can a Private Investigator do?

Blog jcutter November 6, Facebook 0 Twitter. Guy Noir, private eye. But what is it really like to be a private eye? But for that you need to know how do private investigators work, what their day-to-day life looks like, how to investigate someone or how to have someone investigated!

Well, these are genuine questions which every aspiring detective must have but do not worry, we got your back. What is the investigative process going to look like from start to finish? We can start by making two broad distinctions. These types of assignments are usually initiated by private citizens and are not necessarily connected to the legal system.

Examples of types of cases in this category include:. These types of assignments involve conducting an investigation to gather evidence for presentation in a courtroom or other formal legal proceeding. Examples of clients who deal with these types of cases are:. Understanding how the law applies to these types of cases determines the level and quality of evidence you must obtain to be successful for your clients. It can also determine how you obtain this evidence.

Say a client phones you up and says she is suspicious her husband is having an affair with his secretary during their lunch hour. Infidelity cases are one of the most common types of PIs. She wants you to gather evidence for use in court to file for divorce.

At this point, you check the law in your state about what evidence is needed to support a reasonable suspicion of infidelity. The law says that to have reasonable suspicion, the parties involved must fulfill all of the following conditions:.

The law also says that a family court judge adjudicates divorce cases. Now you can translate your understanding of the law into a successful plan of action. You tail the husband and secretary to a hotel on their lunch hour, snap a time-stamped photo of them going into their hotel room, and snap another time-stamped photo of them coming out of their hotel room 45 minutes later.

Keep a logbook of their activities to supplement the photos. This will save you a lot of time and effort and help you define the parameters of your investigation:. Thanks to all of the stereotypes of PIs that novels and TVs have created, some of them do paint a rather clear picture about investigative work but despite knowing all that you know from mere fiction, there is always a great wisdom attached to going into the depths of all that you are yearning to unravel.

And whether you admit or not, we all have had this one prominent question of all times: how do private investigators work? A private detective and investigator must have knowledge of privacy laws, state and federal laws, and local laws because operate on the authority of a private citizen not a police officer.

Being educated in these laws is vital to the collection of evidence in a case to ensure all data and information will be valid in a court case and can be used. Due to the nature of the work of a private detective and investigator their work hours are irregular and may require more than 40 hours a week. Most work in an office setting and alone unless they are performing surveillance.

Here is when they may work in teams and may be exposed to a variety of weather elements or sometimes possible confrontation though rare. During surveillances they may interview individuals and gather evidence out in the field.

This work can be demanding and cause emotional stress at times. Movies and TV can make the work of private detectives and investigators look pretty glamorous, but the modern P. As an investigator, you might search for missing persons or proof of marital infidelity, but most work for stores, hotels, or security companies to investigate theft, fraud, and other crimes involving money. Their tools are computers, phones, and cameras along with a persuasive manner and a knack for thinking creatively.

Investigators and private detectives have responsibilities as varied as court record searches, accident reconstruction, and surveillance. When a police investigator gathers evidence, he or she is doing so to either find a suspect or build a case.

Their goal is to solve crimes and help the state prosecute criminals by providing government attorneys with appropriate evidence. A private investigator may perform similar work but primarily focuses on gathering the information his or her client needs. The police have some special privileges and obligations. Their goal is to enforce the law and they do so on behalf of the state. When a crime occurs, police investigators are allowed to go to the crime scene, collect evidence, question witnesses and take statements.

A private investigator can only do these things with the permission of law enforcement. Police investigators can also arrest suspects, issue citations and otherwise take actions to address criminal activity.

A private investigator can only gather information. Of course, police investigators are also employees of either the local, state or federal government. They are obligated to take on cases and enforce laws.