Industry News

The Nature of Private Investigation

Private investigators assist individuals, businesses, and attorneys by finding and analyzing information. They connect small clues to solve mysteries or to uncover facts about legal, financial, or personal matters. Private investigators offer many services, including executive, corporate, and celebrity protection; pre-employment verification; and individual background profiles. Some investigate computer crimes, such as identity theft, harassing e-mails, and illegal downloading of copyrighted material. They also provide assistance in criminal and civil liability cases, insurance claims and fraud, child custody and protection cases, missing person cases, and premarital screening. They are sometimes hired to investigate individuals to prove or disprove infidelity.

PIs have many methods to choose from when determining the facts in a case. Much of their work is done using a computer, recovering deleted e-mails and documents, for example. They may also perform computer database searches or work with someone who does. Computers allow investigators to quickly obtain substantial amounts of information such as a subject’s prior arrests, convictions, and civil court judgments; telephone numbers; motor vehicle registrations; association and club memberships; and photographs.

They also perform various other types of surveillances. To verify facts, such as an individual’s income or place of employment, they may make phone calls or visit a subject’s workplace. In other cases, especially those involving missing persons and background checks, investigators interview people to gather as much information as possible about an individual. Sometimes investigators go undercover, pretending to be someone else to get information or to observe a subject or activity inconspicuously.

Most investigators are trained to perform physical surveillance, which may be high-tech or low-tech. They may observe a site, such as the home of a subject, from an inconspicuous location on foot or in a vehicle. Using photographic and video cameras, binoculars, and cell phones, investigators gather information on an individual. This can be quite time consuming.

Their duties depend on the needs of their clients. In cases that involve suspicious workers’ compensation claims, investigators may carry out long-term covert observation of the claimant. If the investigator observes him or her performing an activity that contradicts injuries stated in a worker’s compensation claim, the investigator takes video or still photographs to document the activity and report it to the client.

PIs are mindful of the law when conducting investigations. They keep up with Federal, State, and local legislation, such as privacy laws and other legal issues affecting their work. The legality of certain methods may be unclear, and investigators must make judgment calls when deciding how to pursue a case. They must also know how to collect evidence properly so that they do not compromise its admissibility in court.

Specialization is common. Those who focus on intellectual property theft investigate and document acts of piracy, help clients stop illegal activity, and provide intelligence for prosecution and civil action. Other investigators specialize in developing financial profiles and asset searches. Their reports reflect information gathered through interviews, surveillance, and research, including examination of public documents.


Guard Operations

A guard (or security guard) is usually a privately and formally employed person who is paid to protect property, assets, and people. The employer is most often a contract guard company that sells its guard services to private and government sector employers. In this case, the private employer pays its guards directly and supervises their day-to-day work. This form of security is called “proprietary” or “in-house” security.

Typically, guards are uniformed and act to protect property by looking for and reporting signs of crime, disorder, fire, and safety hazards. Observation is one of several ways that guards perform their such as by guarding entrances and access points to sensitive and crime-prone areas, walking and driving patrol routes, and monitoring CCTV screens and alarm termination points.

Guards also work as bodyguards, chauffeurs, receptionists, bank escorts, and mail sorters/deliverers.

Many guard firms and proprietary guard departments practice the "detect, deter, observe and report" methodology. Depending on the policy of the guard company and the contract between the guard company and the client, guards may be forbidden to wear weapons, carry batons, handcuffs, pepper spray, or display “intimidating” devices. In many jurisdictions, guards are prohibited from wearing uniforms or driving vehicles that are “confusingly similar” to police uniforms and police vehicles.

Perhaps the most restrictive policy affecting guard operations is the practice of arresting or taking into custody people who are believed to have committed an offense within the guarded boundaries. A guard that personally sees a person commit a serious offense (felony), such as assault, may be permitted by policy or contractual agreement to make an arrest but only under the rules and authority of a “citizen’s arrest.” This type of arrest is confered by law to guards and is the Constitutional right of any citizen to hold a serious offender until the police can take charge of the situation.

Since 9-11, more and more clients and private employers ask for armed guards trained and licensed in the use of firearms. An armed guard is almost always required by law or rule to be free of a felony conviction, be of sound mind, and pass a firearms test or tests mandated by a legal jurisdictional body. However, the norm is for the guard to carry a weapon while on duty only. Exceptions are sometimes made when the guard is a “moonlighting” police officer. In such cases, the client or private employer may require a release that says when a firearm or other deadly weapon is used by the guard/police officer, the act is a “police function”—not a guard function. The legal liability is obvious.

Prior to being assigned to guard a particular area, the guard is often oriented to the layout and geography of the area, the senior persons within, chain of command and supervision, rules established by the client, telephone protocol, and response procedures in emergencies. In some instances, the guard will be required to hold certification in CPR and first aid, and be familiar with operation of a defibrillator.

Follow-on training of guards, again depending on policy, may include arrest, control, detention, and self-defense. Also taught are standard operating procedures (SOPs), post orders, operation of equipment such as operation of fire extinguishers, inter-departmental communication equipment, back-up power generators, and shutdown of certain valves and other equipment in a fire emergency.

On-the-job training of guards may include taking notes, writing reports, and calling supervisors to report unusual incidents.

Texas: 800.221.3386 • 713.521.9251 • Fax 800.700.0126 • 713.521.0125 • 3673 Westcenter Dr. • Houston, Texas 77042
California: 800.221.3386 • 661.393.4710 • Fax: 800.700.0126 • 661.393.4771
2809 Unicorn Road, Ste 102 • Bakersfield, CA 93308
Doing business in California under License #OE59720, dba El Dorado Security Services Insurance Agency.