Police Powers
Contrary to what most people think, private investigators do not have any police powers. It is actually illegal in most countries for private Investigators to even wear any type of uniform, carry badges and even have any form of ammunition such as handguns. They also do not have any rights to enter private property without the consent of the owner and neither do they have the ability to obtain email records, phone records and bank records without the consent of the owner. Private investigators don’t even have any special rights beyond those of an everyday citizen to make arrests even with enough evidence against the individuals they are investigating.
Whilst laws are of course country specific, here for illustration are some examples of some of the laws in America (Florida) with regards private investigators:
Section 493.6118(1)(j), F.S.
“Private investigators are not law enforcement officers and are not granted any police powers regarding arrest or use of force”.
Section 493.6124, F.S.
“Licensed private investigators and private investigator interns should be especially aware that the use of any badge in the course of investigative activity creates a very strong suggestion of impersonation of a law enforcement officer, an act that would constitute misconduct in the course of regulated activities”.
Duties
Agents are typically hired by law firms, individuals and business to get or obtain the needed information to help in the making of informed decisions. They simply help their clients in finding the facts they need and gather related evidence, identify risks and enjoy some peace of mind on the issues they are most concerned about. In many countries there are laws investigators must abide by during their work and they can face a court appearance if they breach these laws. Theirs is to confirm suspicion or find out the truth behind a given case through means that do not end up violating the laws regulating them. They gather facts and evidence before presenting them to the respective clients.
How do Investigators Work?
Agents rely on a variety of resources to get the job done. These can include court records, public records, surveillance, government repositories, investigative databases and even human intelligence to get the information they need on the persons of interest in a given case. Nowadays the internet gives a much wider platform to get the job done in terms of resources.
In most cases, cases rely largely on surveillance and human intelligence – this involves interviewing a number of people or witnesses to get to the bottom of the issue at hand. However, the investigations will go deeper in more complex cases such as those requiring documentation of evidence to be presented in a court of law. The most common investigation gear you will find will include cameras, video cameras as well as spy gadgets and other items like binoculars that make it easier for them to keep an eye on the individuals they are investigating.
Hiring
Private investigations can really come in handy in cases such as finding lost persons, suspected marital affairs, checking potential business partners and investments, child custody battles and monitoring strangers hired to do certain duties. If you feel that this is the way to go, you will need to take your time hiring the right agency. This is because there are some agencies that specialize in specific investigative areas while others can handle a variety of cases competitively. Reputation, the services, the strategies, solutions, investigative equipment and the charges are also some of the factors you might want to consider before hiring. The investigations can take different durations of time depending on how complex the cases are and the amount of input needed.
Even though private investigators do not have any police powers, they should always use their own legal ways of obtaining the information they need on given cases. You can enjoy some peace with the help of professional investigators.