You’ve probably seen private investigators in many films as a hard-boiled professional, who will stop at nothing to crack a case. Unlike the action-packed portrayal seen in Hollywood films of yesteryear, what private investigators do is actually quite different in reality.
The life of a private investigator is not as glamourous as one would initially believe. Similar to police officers and detectives, their work is often methodical instead of high-octane. However, their duties are vital to the client’s needs, and can aid in areas that law enforcement cannot.
Similar to a detective, a private investigator conducts investigations on a myriad of subjects. From trying to locate missing persons to conducting background checks on individuals, their work varies depending on the client. However, private investigators have a typical set of responsibilities that are carried out daily.
Here are six tasks and duties that explain what does a private investigator do:
1. Conducting Interviews
Gathering information is a key component of what a private investigator does on a day-to-day basis. As is the case with any sort of professional of this kind, conducting interviews is relevant to a private investigator’s work. Once initial details have been surmised, pertinent parties must be interviewed. This is to allow further details on a case to essentially be fleshed out.
Interviews also aid in the collection of other information that may have not initially been brought to light. These specific details could lead to tracking other relevant parties down, or allowing a report to be completely finished. Either way, a private investigator will always use this tool to aid in their approach.
2. Researching
Research is another important responsibility that define what a private investigator does. The research can be enacted in a variety of ways. From going through legal databases, to analyzing financial records, a private investigator always does their research. This also entails discovering further information to help the research process in becoming clearer. Usually, a private investigator will know beforehand just what sort of research is necessary.
As the approach differs from individual to individual, researching details always helps in verification. This method allows a private investigator to authenticate a person’s claims, or aid in corroborating testimonies from relevant parties. Whichever way a private investigator aims to do their work, they will always pre-emptively do their research.
3. Performing Surveillance
This duty can only be carried out effectively by the savviest of private investigators. Surveillance essentially translates to performing reconnaissance on particular subjects of interest. If conducted in the proper, legal steps, a private investigator may be able to gather great sources of information that they couldn’t before.
Surveillance doesn’t stop at just recording the activities of the subjects of interest. It also means reporting back these activities to the client, to inform them of what has been seen. These findings can usually translate into something necessary to follow-up on at a later date.
4. Working With Law Enforcement
Although most private investigators work independently, they may also choose to seek out assistance. The parties that provide the most valuable assistance? Local law enforcement. When working with the relevant teams, a private investigator usually shares their findings with them.
This helps create a rapport between the two, which could benefit the private investigator’s overall approach. They could, for example, be able to interview detained subjects that are relevant to their respective case. Law enforcement agents are often interlinked with the duties of a private investigator, and not without good reason either.
5. Presenting Findings In Court
If the situation demands it, a private investigator will often be called upon to testify in court. When this happens, they will often be required to share what they have found in their independent investigation. This includes sharing details of the techniques they have employed or showing the evidence they have collected.
What a private investigator does is prepare interview details for court proceedings. This means that they should have all conversations readily transcribed. Most of the time, a private investigator will be allowed to conduct their own work as independently as possible. However, when the circumstances necessitate their presence, they must be at court.
6. Apprehending A Suspect
As previously discussed, there will inevitably be certain situations that require a private investigator to get involved with the law. Nabbing a suspect, on suspected grounds, is just one of those circumstances. If a private investigator comes head-to-head with a party that they believe is guilty of committing a crime, they are entitled to bringing them in.
This doesn’t necessarily have to be evocative of a high takedown approach as found in a Hollywood film. Once a private investigator has confronted a criminal of interest, they must take them in to the authorities. This will, hopefully, aid in the overall investigation. If the person does turn out to be guilty, private investigators will have greatly aided law enforcement efforts.
No matter the situation, a private investigator will always passionately pursue their work. They are dedicated professionals in every step of the process, and will undoubtedly provide some reassurance once the relevant findings have been uncovered!
