Private investigator
In 1833, Eugène François Vidocq, a French soldier, criminal, and privateer, founded the first known private detective agency, "Le Bureau des Renseignements Universels pour le commerce et l'Industrie"[1] ("The Office of Universal Information For Commerce and Industry") and hired ex-convicts.
In 1842, police arrested him in suspicion of unlawful imprisonment and taking money on false pretences after he had solved an embezzlement case.
Pinkerton's agents performed services which ranged from undercover investigations and detection of crimes, to plant protection and armed security.
In the aftermath of the Homestead Riot of 1892, several states passed so-called "anti-Pinkerton" laws restricting the importation of private security guards during union strikes.
"[2][6] Pinkerton agents were also hired to track western outlaws Jesse James, the Reno brothers, and the Wild Bunch, including Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
This is called investigative due diligence, and is becoming more prevalent in the 21st century with the public reports of large-scale Ponzi schemes and other fraudulent investment vehicles.
There are also cases of corrupt private detectives who, at times, have been known to work for criminals such as stalkers and crime bosses to track down escaped victims, rival criminals and/or witnesses that have gone into hiding or to gather compromising evidence against witnesses, informants, prosecutors and/or police investigators that could be used in upcoming trials.
This niche service is typically conducted by those with backgrounds in intelligence/counterintelligence, executive protection, and a small number from law enforcement entities whose duties included the covert installation of eavesdropping devices as a tool in organized crime, terrorism and narco-trafficking investigations.
Some PIs act as professional witnesses where they observe situations with a view to reporting the actions or lack of them to a court or to gather evidence in antisocial behavior.
Undercover investigators often infiltrate a suspected insurgent group, posing as a person interested in purchasing illegal goods or services with the ultimate aim of obtaining information about their assigned target.
While PIs may investigate criminal matters, they typically do not hold any law enforcement authority by virtue of the position, regardless of licensure.
Private investigators’ authority is usually identical to other citizens’ (off-duty or retired law enforcement officers serving as a PI may retain their police powers at all times, depending on the jurisdiction).
They are expected to keep detailed notes and to be prepared to testify in court regarding any of their observations on behalf of their clients, irregular hours may also be required when performing surveillance work.
[10][11][12][13] These include phone hacking,[14] pretexting, identity theft and other illegal means of accessing government, insurance and police databases[15][16] to obtain highly sensitive private information on their targets.
For instance, in the province of Ontario, private investigators are licensed and regulated by the Ministry of Community Safety & Correctional Services (MCSCS).
You are required to complete 50-hours of basic training with an accredited source such as a university, college, or through private agencies licensed to administer the course.
[citation needed] The SIA has periodically announced potential dates for when private investigator licensing might take effect, including a proposal for discussion in Parliament in May 2015.
[28] In some states (Indiana, Michigan, Rhode Island), work experience can be substituted with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice.
However, on February 7, 1977, after El Paso County challenged a local security company Ro'Mar Investigation and Security, Inc.'s right to conduct investigations without a license, the Colorado Supreme Court deemed the law unconstitutional in People v. Ro'Mar, citing that the statute did not define a "detective business" and the Secretary of State lacked the ability to define it by rule.
[42] Four reviews carried out by the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies in 1985, 1987, 2000 and 2006 recommended against state regulation due to the lack to harm to consumers.
[43] On June 10, 2011, Governor John Hickenlooper signed into law Colorado House Bill 1195, which reinstated licenses for private investigators on voluntary basis effective July 1, 2012.
This split the licenses into two categories: Class I, requiring the applicant to be 21 years of age or older, hold United States citizenship and pass the Colorado Jurisprudence Exam.
[49] According to the Investment Law and Decrees 108/2006/NĐ-CP and 52/2008/NĐ-CP, businesses providing security services are not allowed to conduct investigations or private detective activities in any form.
[52][53][54] For cases involving infidelity surveillance or searching for missing children, clients may pay tens of millions of VND per contract.
In addition, Sherlock Holmes, created by Arthur Conan Doyle in the late 1880s, is arguably the most prominent private investigator in fiction.
