| A Private Detective or Private
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| | experience in other occupations that
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| Investigator (PI) is a person who
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| | prepares them for there career as a
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| conducts investigations, usually for a
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| | Private Investigator. Some previously
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| private citizen, business, or
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| | worked for insurance or collections
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| organization. They also can work for
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| | companies, in the private security
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| attorneys in civil cases or criminal
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| | industry, or as paralegals. Many
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| cases on behalf of a defense attorney or
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| | investigators enter the field after
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| a client. Many Private Investigators work
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| | serving in law enforcement, the military,
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| for insurance companies to investigate
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| | government auditing and investigative
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| suspicious insurance claims for that
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| | positions, or federal intelligence jobs,
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| company. Some Private Investigators also
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| | which makes them an expert in that field
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| are hired to search for evidence of
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| | of investigation due to there experience.
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| adultery or other illegal conduct within
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| | Former law enforcement officers, military
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| a marriage to establish grounds for
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| | investigators, and government agents,
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| divorce or child custody. Within the
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| | often become Private Detectives or
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| Private Investigation Industry nation
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| | Private Investigators, others from such
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| wide adultery or other "socially
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| | fields as finance, accounting, commercial
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| unexcitable behavior" by spouses and
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| | credit, investigative reporting,
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| partners is one of the most profitable
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| | insurance, law, etc. These individuals
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| activities investigators undertake.
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| | often can apply their prior work
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| Private Detectives also conduct process
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| | experience in a related investigative
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| serves, background checks, skip tracing,
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| | specialty and be considered experts in
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| and locating of missing persons. Many
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| | there field.
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| agencies across the country specialize in
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| | A background in subjects such as criminal
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| one particular field of expertise. For
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| | justice and police science can be helpful
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| example, some PI agencies deal only in
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| | to anyone interested in Private
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| skip tracing, others may specialize in
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| | Detectives and Private Investigators
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| surveillance, and still others may
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| | employment. Most corporate investigators
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| specialize in bug detection which is the
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| | require having a bachelor's degree,
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| locating and disposing of unwanted forms
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| | preferably in a business-related field.
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| of electronic surveillance often found in
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| | Some corporate investigators have a
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| corporate espionage or personal eves
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| | master's degree in business
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| dropping cases. Some of the other many
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| | administration or a law degree, while
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| specialties a PI might have is Fraud
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| | still others are CPAs. Corporate
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| Investigations, Personal Security or
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| | investigators hired by large companies
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| Bodyguard details, and Computer Forensics
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| | may receive formal training from their
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| to name a few.
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| | employers on business practices,
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| Private Detectives and Private
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| | management structure, and various
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| Investigators often work irregular hours
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| | finance-related topics. The screening
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| due to of the needs of there case which
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| | process for potential employees typically
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| require them to conduct surveillance and
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| | includes a background check for a
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| contact people who may or may not be
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| | criminal history.
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| available during normal working hours.
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| | The majority of States require private
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| Early morning, evening, weekend, and
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| | detectives and Private Investigators to
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| holiday work is common. Most Private
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| | be licensed in there state. Licensing
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| Detectives and Private Investigators
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| | requirements vary, dramatically however.
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| spend a majority of there time away from
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| | Seven states (Alabama, Alaska, Colorado,
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| their offices conducting interviews or
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| | Idaho, Mississippi, Missouri, and South
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| surveillance, but some work in their
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| | Dakota) have no statewide licensing
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| office most of the day conducting
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| | requirements, other states have very few
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| computer searches and making phone calls.
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| | requirements, and many more states have
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| Those who have their own agencies and
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| | very stringent regulations. A growing
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| employ other investigators may work
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| | number of states are enacting mandatory
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| primarily in an office and have normal
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| | training programs for private detectives
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| business hours. Sometimes an
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| | and investigators. For example, the
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| investigation calls for the investigator
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| | Bureau of Security and Investigative
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| to be armed, such as certain bodyguard
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| | Services of the California Department of
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| assignments for corporate or celebrity
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| | Consumer Affairs requires private
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| clients. Detectives and investigators who
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| | investigators to be 18 years of age or
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| carry handguns must be licensed by the
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| | older, have a combination of education in
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| appropriate authority in most cases to
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| | police science, criminal law, or justice
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| carry a firearm on duty. In most cases,
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| | and experience equaling 3 years (6,000
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| however, a weapon is not necessary,
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| | hours) of investigative experience, pass
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| because the purpose of the work is
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| | a criminal history background check by
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| gathering information and not law
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| | the California Department of Justice and
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| enforcement or criminal apprehension.
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| | the FBI (in most States, convicted felons
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| Most states require that Private
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| | cannot be issued a license), and receive
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| Investigators be licensed. Some Private
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| | a qualifying score on a two-hour written
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| Detectives are former police officers or
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| | examination covering laws and
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| former military, although many do not
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| | regulations. There are additional
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| have that kind of professional
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| | requirements for a firearms permit.
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| background. Many states have strict laws
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| | Most private-detective agencies are
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| that govern and regulate the Private
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| | small, with little room for advancement
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| Investigation industry in there state. A
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| | due to not more than one to three Private
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| Private Investigator often works long
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| | Investigators in the Firm. Usually, there
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| hours, keeping detailed notes and video
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| | are no defined ranks or steps, so
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| for reports to supply to there clients
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| | advancement takes the form of increases
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| and often spend most of there time in the
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| | in salary and assignment status. Many
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| field conducting surveillance related
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| | detectives and investigators work for
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| work. Many Private Detectives have
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| | detective agencies at the beginning of
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| college degrees or have taken legal or
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| | their careers and, after a few years,
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| criminal investigation related courses to
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| | start their own Agency after receiving
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| better prepare themselves for there
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| | the necessary experience. Corporate and
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| particular field of investigation.
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| | legal investigators may rise to
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| Private Detectives and Private
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| | supervisor or manager of the security or
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| Investigators typically have previous
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| | investigations department.
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