What Does The Future Hold For Private Investigators? (Discussion)

The field of private investigations is shrouded in mystery, and for good reason. It's not really talked about and not much information can be found on it.

I am writing this article both to share my perception as a newer PI, but also to gain insight and opinions from more experienced individuals and professionals from other adjacent fields. I feel the lack of information for this field is not only a deterrent for people who are interested in becoming a PI, but also creates many roadblocks for those in it.

My Childhood Interest In The Field

Now a bit about me, I've always been obsessed with the field of investigations and espionage. When I speak to older individuals about my career, they may bring up shows like Sherlock Holmes, Pink Panther or Magnum PI. As a 90s kid, I grew up with Scooby Doo, Nancy Drew, Inspector Gadget, Kim Possible, Archie's Weird Mysteries, Disney's Fillmore, Totally Spies, and Martin Mystery.

I bring up these shows because they gave me another perspective when it came to the field. People tend to think of PIs as people who handle big cases and go after murderers, thieves, and crime ring leaders. However, because the shows I watched were mostly cartoons, they were able to make even the most trivial cases seem interesting and exciting. They may try to find a missing vase, trace back a love letter, find out who stole the test answers, get to the bottom of a bullying case, or figure out the perpetrators of a prank.

The characters mostly handled local civil cases or internal cases at their school. Money or status was never a factor. If someone needed help or came to them with a case, they would take on anything, and pursue it until the truth came out. Their motivation to try was either for justice, or simply curiousity and the joy of solving a puzzle.

I wanted to be like them. I wanted to help whoever needed help, and I wanted to get to the bottom of any case that came to me...

However, despite my deep interest in the field, it just didn't seem like a possible career path. My parents told me it was unrealistic and dangerous. My schools never talked about it. My friends didn't share my interest (which sucked as most investigators had a partner of sorts), and I even got an anonymous hate email that, at the very end, said not to use my 'wannabe detective' skills to figure out who they are. If only I had the cyber intelligence skills I had now, but that's a story for another day.

Pursuing A Career In Private Investigations

My path to becoming a private investigator wasn't a straight path, and sadly, that's the same for the majority of PIs out there. It's usually a second or third career, or even something police officers consider after retirement.

For me, even though I discovered the field in high school and looked into it, there was no path or guidelines on how to get into it. Adding on, the sites I found only talked about surveillance. They described the job as sitting in a car for days and weeks with your camera, hoping to capture evidence on field, but that didn't really interest me. I don't mind spying or conducting surveillance to solve a case, but to stalk a potential cheating husband just didn't feel like investigative work, and I'm sure many 'wannabe detectives' feel the same.

What pushed me to actually pursue the field years later was cyber intelligence. A game called "Digimon Cyber Sleuth" got me curious about the field of cyber investigations, something I've never heard of or thought about before. When I did research on cyber crimes, I was stunned by the number of yearly reported cyber crimes, and heartbroken knowing the majority of individuals were not being helped by authorities.

Being a victim of a couple cyber crimes myself (including the anonymous hate letter mentioned above), I know how it felt. However, I know my cases were quite small in comparison to other victims as they were one time incidents that I could easily move on from.

On the other side, there are people who are being cyber bullied, harassed, stalked, impersonated or even hacked on a daily, ongoing basis. Victims of these crimes often deal with depression and anxiety and feel that there is no escape or end to their problems. After all, the online world isn't really a place you can avoid or ignore. It's in your pocket, in your home, and required for almost everything these days. School, banking, job applications, dating, you name it.

Some have lost thousands to romance scammers, some are being exploited or blackmailed online, and some become victims to human trafficking. I get that the police may not have the resources to take on each of these cases, but it saddens me when financial cases are given priority over personal or emotional cases. Money can be replaced, but mental illnesses and trauma caused by these events can last a lifetime.

I felt a drive so strong to help these people that I took my first McAfee course, got my PI license and took a leap of faith into the field. I knew without experience or formal training, it would be hard, but I was willing to try.

I sent emails everywhere and anywhere, hoping one would give me a chance. I was willing to shadow or intern for experience, but luckily, I got a position at the perfect agency that not only handled a variety of cases, but where the CEO had experience in investigations, intelligence, countersurveillance, and penetration testing. Despite working for governments, banks, telephone companies and other big businesses, he still had a heart of gold for people and wanted to help them. Sometimes, fate just works that way.

My boss didn't see the field of private investigations the way I did as a rookie, and he continues to open my eyes and mind to all we could do as an agency.

Deciding On My Specialties As An Investigator

While getting comfortable in my new role as a cyber intelligence analyst, my boss asked me to take on a workplace harassment case for a clinic.

Considering my background in medical administration, who better to handle a case between an employer and a medical receptionist than myself? While I did handle the case fairly and objectively, (in which it was a one time incident and there were no other complaints or problems in that clinic), I really felt for the receptionist. While the clinicians seemed to love their job and the boss, the two receptionists were frustrated, shaken, depressed, and hurt.

I could relate to what they said about not be respected, appreciated, or understood. They do so much work to keep the business running, but people, including their own co-workers, seem to think they just answer calls and book appointments. No one considers that we handle faxes and referrals, help clean the clinic, organize calendars, respond to emails, keep an eye on stock and order supplies, write letters, sort mail, and so on. We are the first point of contact for angry or rude clients, we keep the clinic running smoothly....but no one really cares or notices what you do unless you make a mistake. Your boss sees you as replaceable, and may even threaten you and your job if they feel you aren't up to their impossible standards.

After this case, I couldn't help but wonder how many other people were also being treated unfairly at their jobs. How many people were living in fear? How many were being harassed or sexually assaulted on the job? How many have been dismissed unfairly or accused of things they didn't do? How many were being discriminated against for things they can't help or change? Not to mention people who can't find a job because of their name or background.

However, having worked for quite a few businesses in the last few years, I can't say that every employee is innocent either. Lazy coworkers and drama is one thing, but there are employees who may commit theft, sell confidential information, harass coworkers, or generally contribute to a hostile or unproductive workplace.

I wanted to get to the bottom of these cases, and that is why I started learning more about workplace investigations. I've been honing my skills in interviewing, evidence collection, and body language, while also learning more about psychology, investigations, and the laws and guidelines for businesses. I wanted to have all the skills needed to thoroughly investigate internal cases. I want to bring the truth to light and catch the perpetrators like my role models.

But that brings me to writing this article today.

The Struggle And Confusion In The Field

My curiousity is what led me down this path, and research, along with a well informed mentor, allowed me to see all the paths a private investigator could take...but it shouldn't have to be this way.

For people who are interested in the field, it feels like a dead end. One side has them questioning how to become a PI. The next side has them questioning how to find a job and get training. And the final wall is how to start working the cases they are truly passionate about.

If all you need is a high school diploma, how do you get started in it? I did research and discovered I needed a license. I did a certified online course and was given a number to apply for my test, which takes place in a few driving centers. When I arrived on the date of my test, I was very confused. There was a sign directing security guards where to go, but there were no signs for private investigators. While they are under the same umbrella (the PSISA act), I wasn't going to assume and miss my test. Even if I was the only PI that wrote my test that day, I shouldn't feel neglected or confused on such a big day.

Next, how does one get a job in the field when all agencies expect experience and a drivers license? I had neither when I started. I've been taking public transit since elementary and I love the convenience of it. Owning a car was never in my plans due to the cost, and thus I never felt a need for a license, at least until after I started working in this field. However, anything really is possible if you're serious and motivated. I wanted to focus on cyber intelligence, so it really wasn't a requirement.

And that leads to the last point. What about the investigator who has only done surveillance and skip tracing, but who want to start doing other cases? What options do they have?

I've had the honour of interviewing private investigators as a manager at my agency. While they may have more years than me, they are still stuck on that last wall. Most have express an interest in doing OSINT, background checks, theft and fraud, security assessments, or civil cases. They want to be more involved in investigative work, but have only been asked to do surveillance or skip tracing for the agencies they work for.

You might be asking, "If they want to do other cases, why not just be self-employed?" but it's a little complicated. All PIs are required to work under an agency that has their own agency license number and insurance.

While it may not necessarily be a difficult thing to do, any entrepreneur knows that starting their own business is a big task that requires a lot of time, money and attention. Not to mention actually promoting and gathering your first few clients as a new business. Lacking experience in the cases you want to do can also be a huge deterrent.

Adding on, a benefit to working for an agency is the flexibility. If you can't take on a certain case or need to take time off, the case can easily be passed on to another investigator. If a case needs more than one investigator, it can easily be arranged.

While I could go on about the lack of variety in work for agencies and investigators, I also understand the perspective of the clients who hire PIs.

For many individuals of the public, they think PIs are a fictional figure. The shock on people's face when I tell them what I do starts off with genuine surprise followed by, the confused 'wait, that's a thing?' expression...and sometimes the nervous, 'you're not following or investigating me, right?'

However, I also understand why this is the case. When I answer calls at my company, that is what most individuals ask for. I get it. Surveillance and skip tracing is a job that's quite unique to the field. If you need someone to keep an eye on your rebellious son, or need to find a tenant who disappeared without paying rent, who else would you call?

But imagine if people knew about all the other things private investigators could do or were trained in?

What Private Investigators Can Do For You

So let me share a few reasons you may want or require a PI.

For the general public, we can:

• Locate a long lost family member or friend
• Do background checks on potential lovers or tenants
• Conduct surveillance on a cheating spouse
• Help find missing property, wills, or assets
• Conduct general research and intelligence
• Search for spyware and do bug sweeping
• Do forensics on computers and cell phones
• Gather evidence so you can take it to the authorities

For businesses, we can:

• Do pre-employment background checks
• Conduct due-diligence on businesses and potential partners
• Investigate fraud and AML cases
• Do workplace harassment, discrimination or violence investigations
• Provide business intelligence or espionage on competition
• Help solve internal theft, confidentiality breaches, etc.
• Conduct surveillance for insurance firms
• Work undercover to discover issues within the business

For legal or court cases, we can:

• Investigate and connect the dots
• Collect or gather evidence for a case
• Track down witnesses and conduct interviews
• Conduct surveillance for child custody cases
• Do OSINT and Social Media Investigations

Of course some of these would require additional training and certification, but they are jobs private investigators can do nevertheless. And until the world recognizes that, people may feel like they have nowhere to turn or spend more money than necessary finding people to do different tasks.

If you're ever unsure if a private investigator is the right person for the job, just remember that a PI can investigate anything you want them to. They have a variety of tools and methods, and different PIs specialize in different things.

A private investigator is especially perfect if you are curious about something or want to gather information, but don't want to involved police or lawyers. After all, a PI works for you, not for the authorities, so they can be quite flexible...they just can't break the law. So please don't ask us to hack into someone's computer, break into someone's home, put a tracking device on someone's car, or tap into someone's phone to record their private conversations. Some PIs may be willing to break the law, but the majority of us are professionals and don't want to lose our license for a case. After all, a clean criminal record is a requirement.

In Conclusion...

I do think the field of private investigations needs a push of some sorts. It needs more exposure, more information, and more training!

I am only 26 as I'm writing this, so I'm not claiming to know everything. Please correct me if anything stated in this article is wrong or misleading as I want to learn as well.

I state my age because, while starting young may mean I have decades to learn and grow in the field, it can also feel quite lonely being the only one in my age group at events and conventions. I am thankful for the more experience PIs and people in adjacent fields for being welcoming and giving me tips and insight, but I can't help but be worried for the future of the field.

I think with time, less and less people will be entering the field. With new, tech based fields that pay way more coming out, along with a lack of information or shows on the field to invoke curiousity, why would they want to? The few that do look into it are told that investigators mostly do surveillance and are paid between $20-$25 an hour, it can quickly lose it's appeal.

That's not to say all PIs hate surveillance. Trust me, I've actually met some who specialize in it and only care to do those cases, but I can't think of a single person who grew up thinking, "hmmm...my dream job would be to sit in a car all day for weeks and catch evidence of cheating spouses." But hey, if they watched the show 'Cheaters' like I did, it can actually sound like a lot of fun.

I have done surveillance before, and I don't mind sitting in a car for a while. Following cars and managing to capture what the client wants is exhilarating. But keep in mind that you'll be in your car for who knows how long. You can't exactly use the washroom regularly and will have to relieve yourself inside. You can pack food but may end up snacking quite a bit, unsure of when you can leave your post for a real meal. You can't exactly keep your car running as you wouldn't want to be noticed, so be ready for hot summers and cold winters. Having a family may also make this difficult as you may have to follow a subject to another city and spend nights away from home. Being committed to surveillance work requires a lot of sacrifices that many may not be willing or able to make, but that doesn't mean they may not find fulfillment in other jobs that a PI can do, and that's the point I'm getting at.

When the older investigators retire, I worry that there will be a huge gap between need and supply. Until the point of entry becomes easier, more information is readily available, and the public is more aware of our existence, the future of the field is quite uncertain.

There will ALWAYS be a need for private investigators, and thus, there should be more encouragement and accessibility for those who may have an interest or knack for the field. At least that's how I feel.

Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments! I look forward to reading your opinions!