Chuntian Academy International

CAI Private (Professional) Investigator

Increasingly, modern PIs prefer to be known as "professional investigators" rather than "private investigators" or "private detectives". This is a response to the seedy image that is sometimes attributed to the profession and an effort to establish and demonstrate the industry to be a proper and respectable profession.

Global focus

In some countries throughout the world, private investigations are illegal. In other countries, private investigators thrive, including: United States, the Netherlands, Mexico, Canada, Turkey, United Kingdom, France, Spain, South Africa, Australia and Japan. In South Africa, private investigators are in very high demand due to poor police work and high crime rates. Other countries throughout the world have private investigators, but a lot of their duties are restricted. In South Korea, for example, surveillance is allowed only in insurance fraud situations. In India, working the same case may involve speaking with a large network of people, driving long distances, and contacting several companies over extended periods of time to solve the case. Some countries in the world require licensing of private detectives, but most do not.

Working conditions

Private detectives and investigators often work irregular hours because of the need to conduct surveillance and contact people who are not available during normal working hours. Early morning, evening, weekend, and holiday work is common.[
Many detectives and investigators spend time away from their offices conducting interviews or doing surveillance, but some work in their office most of the day conducting computer searches and making telephone calls. Those who have their own agencies and employ other investigators may work primarily in an office and have normal business hours.

When the private investigator is working on a case away from the office, the environment might range from plush boardrooms to seedy bars. Store and hotel detectives work in the businesses that they protect. Investigators generally work alone, but they sometimes work with others during surveillance or when following a subject in order to avoid detection by the subject.

Some of the work involves confrontation, so the job can be stressful and dangerous. Some situations call for the investigator to be armed, such as certain bodyguard assignments for corporate or celebrity clients. Detectives and investigators who carry handguns must be licensed by the appropriate authority. In most cases, however, a weapon is not necessary, because the purpose of the work is gathering information and not law enforcement or criminal apprehension. Owners of investigative agencies have the added stress of having to deal with demanding and sometimes distraught clients.