Are Private Detectives Real? Are Private Investigators Legitimate?

Over the years I have found that many people hold misconceptions about Private Detectives and Private Investigation and I have spent quite a lot of time dispelling the myths and privately wondering why so much mystery surrounds the profession.

I have come to conclude a number of things, one of which is that when people think of a Private Investigator, they think of someone shady, perhaps a little dodgy and there is the association with "Tradecraft" even though the individual may have never heard heard the term before.

From Vocabulary.com:

"Tradecraft" is an old word that used to refer to the work, or craft, of any profession, or trade. It likely acquired its specific association with spy work during World War II, though it is a word most heavily associated with the Cold War..."

It is my intention to clear things up a little here. There is a difference between a Private Detective and a Spy although the two fields do have some significant cross over points, they are indeed different.

It is the association with spies that, in my opinion, is one of the elements that gives Private Detectives' this mysterious aura. Allow me to explain...

Lets first start out by defining each. According to www.lexico.com :

NOUN spies

• A person employed by a government or other organization to secretly obtain information on an enemy or competitor.

NOUN investigator

• A person who carries out a formal inquiry or investigation

NOUN detective

• A person, especially a police officer, whose occupation is to investigate and solve crimes

The word "Private" in the job title "Private Detective" or "Private Investigator" simply refers to the fact that the detective/investigator is hired privately by an individual or organisation and so we can ignore that part for the sake of this blog and instead focus on the "investigator/detective" part.

We can see immediately from the definition of "investigator" and "detective" that they are fundamentally one and the same in that the job is to conduct investigation. A spy will gather information (as will a detective) but it is in the way that this is done that the difference really lies.

Surveillance type work is a lot of of what a Private Investigator undertakes and this involves the recording and documenting of whatever is being witnessed, usually in a covert manner. We do not influence what is happening but record evidence of exactly what is happening. A spy on the other hand may set up situations or act to influence events, to encourage certain behaviour, spend time cultivating relationships or setting the stage in order to be a witness to events or be a party to conversations and the like and in this way s/he may employ tactics which could be deemed deceitful in order to obtain his/her goal.

This is where the cross over is because while under certain circumstances, a private detective will do the same but most often, we don't. We are simply present to document and record whatever is already taking place.

So to answer the question "Are private detectives real?" The answer is yes, we most certainly are. There are many, many circumstance which require the establishment of the true facts that individuals, corporations and intelligence agencies will work to ascertain and will therefore hire an independent professional to perform this task.

As to the question "Are Private Detectives legitimate?" Again, the answer is yes we are. We conduct investigations in much the same way as the police do although our concerns are usually not related to crime (although they can be) and our role is to gather evidence and information and to also document and record.

The execution of any action that is being employed with a view to influencing or instigating an event or guiding an outcome must be carefully considered, often from a legal standpoint so as not to render the information garnered as invalid. A Private Detective will have to be mindfully of this and so must conduct themselves accordingly.

Ethics are also very important. A professional Private Detective will always conduct their investigations in an ethical manner, to do otherwise can have an effect on the outcome which in turn may render the whole investigation worthless.

An example of this is would be the understanding of the law applicable in the location in which the investigation is being conducted regarding listening devices. If the recorded evidence is not obtained according to the law, it becomes useless as the evidence can not be used in court.

A Private Detective will have occasion to employ the same tactics that a spy would such as pretending to be someone they are not or lying to gain access to something, someone or somewhere but a spy will usually engage in this sort of practice more often and for more extended periods of time than a Private Investigator although it it is not unheard of for a Private Investigation to require this of a Private Detective at times.

Television and movies use a lot of poetic license in the portrayal of Private Detectives, the work they undertake and the way they conduct an investigation which has also lent itself to common misunderstandings about the profession but in reality, a professional Private Investigator is just that, a professional. One that carries out legitimate work, for legitimate reasons in a legal manner for clients with varying and sound reasons for wishing to obtain valid information.

www.InvestigateCZ.com

2020