Here's looking at you, kid: private detectives and investigators.
Article from: Occupational Outlook Quarterly Article date: June 22, 1994 Author: Rosenbaum, Matthew More results for: PRIVATE DETECTIVES

Flashy sports cars and daring feats are the lot of private detectives and investigators--at least on television and in the movies. In the real world, people in this occupation might spend a typical day sitting in a car, watching for someone to appear; strolling around a store, seeking to catch shoplifters; or sitting in front of a computer, accessing information from electronic databases. Most private plainclothes detectives protect stores, hotels, and other establishments from theft, vandalism, and disorder. In contrast, the main job of private investigators is to obtain information; they do this in many ways, pending on the types of investigations they conduct.

Nature of the Work

Private detectives and investigators who work for large companies, retail stores, shopping malls, and recreation facilities prevent thefts and the destruction of property. Store detectives watch for and apprehend shoplifters, vendor representatives, delivery personnel, and even store employees who might be stealing. They also inspect storage areas and rest rooms and sometimes open and close the store. They may also prepare reports for management and occasionally testify in court against those they apprehend.

Private detectives working as general investigators have duties ranging from locating missing persons to exposing fraudulent workers' compensation claims. Many investigators who work for private investigations firms look into anything the client wishes; hence, there is no typical set of duties. Others specialize in one field, such as finance, where they might use accounting skills to investigate the financial standing of a company.

General investigators usually work for small firms. They are given assignments by the owner or manager of the firm and most of the time work alone. They conduct background investigations, physical surveillance, on-line computer searches, and insurance investigations. They obtain information, interview witnesses, and assemble evidence for divorce procedures, litigation, or criminal trials.

Surveillance takes up much of the time of many investigators. Stakeouts are a popular form of surveillance. On a stakeout, one or two investigators observe a site, such as the home of a subject, to gather evidence. For long periods, they sit inconspicuously in a car or other location supplied with video or still cameras, binoculars, and a citizen's band radio or a car phone. Their job might be to wait for the arrival of someone being sought as a potential witness, to document a relationship between a subject and another person or a particular location, or to observe a subject's behavior. They might observe a person who has recently filed a workers' compensation claim that an injury has made walking difficult to see if he or she jogs or mows the lawn. Investigators take photographs to document such activities and report back to their supervisor or client.

Many investigatins involve verifying facts, such as place of employment, or obtaining confidential information. This might involve a phone call or a visit to the workplace. In other investigations, especially in missing person cases, the investigator must interview people to learn as much as possible about someone's whereabouts. These interviews can be formal or informal. They sometimes turn unfriendly.

Many investigators deal with criminals and criminal activities to some extent, but legal investigators specialize in cases involving the courts and lawyers. To assist in preparing criminal defenses, investigators locate witnesses, interview police, gather and review evidence, take photographs, and testify in court. To assist attorneys in the preparation of litigation for injured parties, they interview prospective witnesses, collect information on the parties to the litigation, and search out testimonial, documentary, or physical evidence. Legal investigators seek to assemble as complete a factual picture as possible. They must also be knowledgeable of the law, understand the court system, and be effective witnesses in court.

Corporate investigators work for companies other than investigative firms--usually large international corporations or business services firms like insurance companies. they conduct investigations of fraud or theft and identify employees with substance abuse problems.

Investigators in the finance industry often investigate the financial standing of companies or individuals. Since corporate takeovers have become more common, investigators have increasingly been working with investment bankers and lawyers. Investigators are generally hired to develop confidential financial profiles of individuals or companies that may be parties to large financial transactions. A common type of such an investigation is the asset search, which ends with a complete list of assets. Most begin with the routine collection of information, such as the correct name, address, and social security number of a subject, which allows a credit report to be obtained. During the asset search, much of the information is obtained from commercial databases and reporting services, as well as public records. The next step in the search may be contacting sources, usually within the banking industry, who can provide additional financial information not normally available to the public.

Computers have changed the nature of this occupation and become an integral part of investigative work over the last several years. They are mainly used to access information stored on electronic databases. Many investigations start with a computer search using just a person's name and Social Security number or date of birth. Not only do computers allow investigators to obtain massive amounts of information in short periods, but they are being used in more white-collar crimes, such as computer fraud. Computer crimes require investigators with new skills to help stop them. Even with the widespread use of computers, traditional investigative techniques such as interviews or rummaging through garbage are still used in many cases.

Earnings and Working Conditions

Earnings of private detectives and investigators vary greatly depending on their employer, specialty, and geographic area in which they work. According to Compensation in the Security/Loss Prevention Field, 8th edition, (Abbott, Langer & Associates, Crete, IL), private investigators averaged about $36,700 a year in 1993, and store detectives about $16,100.

According to other limited information available, beginning general private investigators earned from $15,000 to $18,000 a year in 1993. Experienced private investigators earned from $20,000 to $125,00 annually. Private investigators who managed or owned investigations firms earned about $40,000 to sometimes as much as $300,000 a year. Most private investigators bill their clients between $25 and $125 per hour to conduct various investigations. Most general private investigators, except those working for large corporations, do not receive paid vacation or sick days, health or life insurance, retirement packages, or other benefits. Investigators are usually reimbursed for expenses and generally given a car allowance.

According to other sources, corporate investigators not working for investigations firms earned between $40,000 and $45,000 per year in 1993 at the entry level and between $50,000 and $55,000 per year after a few years of experience; supervisors earned between $70,000 and $75,000 per year. Most corporate investigators received health insurance, pension plans, profitsharing plans, and paid vacation.

Private investigators work irregular hours. Early morning, evening, and weekend work is very common. Often investigators work 40-hour weeks, but even in these cases the hours are rarely regular, fixed, or routine because of the need to conduct surveillance or contact people who are not available during normal working hours. Investigators who work solely for insurance companies have more normal work hours.

Most of the work of general private investigators is done away from the office, although some specialists sit behind desks most of the day conducting computer searches and making phone calls. Corporate investigators often split their time between the office and the field; even work done out of the office is generally indoors, but it may include outdoor surveillance.

When away from the office, the environment of investigators ranges from plush boardrooms to rough bars. They also may spend time in courtrooms when called as witnesses. Investigators generally work alone, but sometimes in pairs during stakeouts. They often come in contact with criminals and those suspected of criminal activity. Their work may be confrontational, as they never know who they will be dealing with. Some investigators carry handguns although most do not because, in most States, it is very difficult to obtain a permit to carry a concealed weapon.

Owners of investigations firms also have the added duties and stresses of running a business.

Qualifications and Advancement

No formal education is required for most private detective and investigator jobs, although most employers prefer to hire high school graduates and a growing number of States are enacting mandatory training programs for investigators. Many private detectives and investigators get their entry level training on the job. Many enter the field after having worked as police officers or government detectives. Others enter from such fields as finance, accounting, insurance, medicine, and law and apply their experience in a related investigative specialty.

In 1993, 42 States and the District of Columbia required that private investigators be licensed. In most cases, the State police department is the licensing authority. Requirements vary widely. Some States only require licensure for independent investigators, not staff investigators who work for law firms or other large companies. For example, the District of Columbia, which has among the least stringent requirements, demands only the payment of an annual $158 fee and the posting of a $5,000 bond. In contrast, California requires 6,000 hours of investigative experience, a background check, a qualifying score on a written examination, payment of a $25 application fee and a $32 fingerprint fee, and payment of an annual $100 license fee upon approval. In all States that require licensure, a felony conviction almost always disqualifies a candidate. A misdemeanor is usually not grounds for disqualification, but each applicant is considered individually.

Most investigations firms screen potential employees, conducting a background check consisting of confirmation of education and work experience, credit report, driving record, criminal history, and interviews with people who know the applicant. Large companies that have an investigations or security department may require a criminal history check, personal interview, ethics interview, practical test, verification of education claims, and license review.

For private detective and investigator jobs, most employers look for individuals with ingenuity who are honest, persistent, and assertive. They must not be afraid of confrontations and should be able to think on their feet and communicate well. The courts are often the ultimate judge of the results of an investigation, so the investigator must be able to present information in a manner a jury will believe.

"Street smarts" are very important for private detectives and investigators, as is being able to interact well with many different kinds of people and adapt to local customs. Interviewing skills are crucial in order to be able to extract the necessary information from different sources. In general, investigators should like people, adventure, and independent work. Many investigators eventually start up their own investigations companies, so they also need to be highly motivated in order to succeed.

A college degree is also an asset, particularly a major such as criminal justice. A college education has become more preferred over the past several years and is a prerequisite for employment in some companies. Most corporate investigators must have a bachelor's degree, preferably in a business-related field, or law enforcement experience. Some corporate investigators have Master of Business Administration or law degrees, while others are Certified Public Accountants.

Corporate investigators hired by larger companies may receive formal training from their employers on business practices, management structure, finance-related topics, and interrogation.

Advancement depends on successful investigations. Most investigations firms are small, so there is little opportunity for advancement. Usually there are no defined ranks, so advancement is in terms of salary and receiving preferred assignments. After a few years, experienced investigators may try to start their own investigations firms. Corporate investigators may rise to supervisor or manager of the security or investigations department.

Employment and Outlook

Private detectives and investigators held about 59,000 jobs in 1992. About 17 percent were self-employed; most worked as general investigators. Of the remainder who held wage and salary jobs, about 40 percent worked for investigative and security firms, and 33 percent worked for department stores. Others worked for hotels, law firms, and clothing and accessories stores.

Employment of private detectives and investigators is expected to grow 70 percent between 1992 and 2005, which is much faster than the average for all occupations. In addition, job turnover should create many additional openings, particularly wage and salary jobs. Nevertheless, competition is expected for available openings because private detective and investigator careers are attractive to many.

Demand for private detectives and investigators is expected to grow with increases in the size of the population, the general level of economic activity, and global and domestic competition. As each grows, accompanying increases in crime, litigation, and requirements for confidential information of all kinds should create many jobs for private detectives and investigators. As crime continues to increase, more firms will seek uniformed and plainclothes security personnel. However, growing numbers of firms are contracting with private guard and security companies for these jobs. Many companies will hire private investigators because of drug abuse in the workplace. Additional private detectives and investigators will be needed to meet the needs for confidential information associated with criminal defenses and litigation among companies and individuals. Increased activity in the world of finance especially growth in the number of takeovers and mergers, also will increase the demand for investigators. In addition, as competition becomes more intense, growing numbers of companies will hire investigators to control internal and external financial losses, as well as to find out what their competitors are doing.

One of the fastest growing specialties in the investigation field is forensic accounting; for these jobs, a business degree or accounting background is very useful. More investigators will also be employed in the insurance industry and as privacy consultants, largely by celebrities.

Computer technology and the information age will also contribute to high employment growth among investigators. Because computers enable large amounts of data to be accessed quickly, on-line computer searches have become a focus of many investigators. Advances in computer technology have also led to increased white-collar computer crimes. Investigators will also be needed to combat many types of fraud committed against companies and individuals.

Besides employment growth, the need to replace detectives and investigators who leave wage and salary jobs should also create many job openings. Turnover in these jobs is generally high because many workers leave to open their own investigations firms after acquiring several years of experience. Because most investigations firms are small, they offer limited advancement opportunities. However, those who start their own investigations firms often have a difficult time finding clients and making a profit.

Despite strong demand for private detectives and investigators, competition should continue to be very stiff because of the abundant supply of workers qualified for these jobs. Due to the frequently hazardous nature of police jobs, many governments allow law enforcement personnel to retire at a relatively young age; many of these former police officers and government detectives seek to enter the private investigative field.

Opportunities should be best for entry level jobs. People seeking store detective jobs should expect the best opportunities to be with private guard and security firms since many retail businesses are replacing these jobs with outside contract detectives.

Related Occupations and Additional Information

Private detectives and investigators often collect information related to criminal activities and protect property and assets of small and large companies. Workers with similar duites include security guards and consultants, police, and other law enforcement officers. Corporate investigators and investigators who specialize in conducting financial profiles and asset searches perform work closely related to that of claims examiners and financial analysts.

Most States have associations for private detectives and investigators that provide career information. For information on local licensure requirements, contact your State police headquarters.

For more information on a career as a private detective or investigator, contact

International Security and Detective Alliance

P.O. Box 6303

Corpus Christi, TX 78466-6303

For information on legal investigators, contact

Executive Secretary

National Association of Legal Investigators, Inc.

P.O. Box 3254

Alton, IL 62002