by Celeste Moyers

When most people think of a private investigator, they think of a character they’ve seen in a movie or television show. However, the actual work of a private investigator is often more tedious and less glamorous than typically portrayed by Hollywood.

As an informed consumer, here are a few things to consider before hiring a private investigator:

Law Enforcement “Connections”

Current or former law enforcement does not necessarily make a good private investigator. This is because in a law enforcement capacity, that individual is used to demanding information from their subject. And by law, the subject is often required to cooperate. However, as a private investigator, that individual no longer has the backing of government to make anyone do anything. This often proves a difficult transition for current and former law enforcement working in a private investigator capacity. Often, these individuals are not as effective private investigators since people carry an inherent distrust of law enforcement.

Additionally, contrary to popular belief, former or current law enforcement officials have no “inside connection” for getting any more information than a private investigator with no law enforcement background. As a law enforcement official, every record pulled is tracked and must have a justifiable reason for being pulled. For example, if a private investigator tells you they have a “buddy in law enforcement” who can pull records for them, that’s not true. Whatever law enforcement official is pulling that record must be able to state to their boss WHY they’re pulling that record AND it can only be for an ACTIVE case. Otherwise, that law enforcement official has pulled that record illegally and could risk loosing their job. When operating as a private investigator, current and former law enforcement officials are restricted to the same tools available to all other private investigators, regardless of current or former law enforcement experience.

“Legacy”

Private investigation companies who have been in existence for a long time often boast about their longevity. However, consumers must to ask these companies if there’s been any recent change in leadership or if there’s a high employee turnover rate. If a company’s current leadership has recently undergone a significant change or has a high employee turnover rate, their current leadership or roster of employees may be new, inexperienced private investigators or have no private investigation experience at all. Therefore, even if the company “name” may have been around a long time, they are effectually an inexperienced private investigations firm.

“Effort”

It is important for consumers to ask what efforts a private investigator will go to on behalf of their investigation. While many private investigators boast about their database access, an informed consumer must realize that every private investigator is pulling from the same slate of databases, whether it’s Lexis Nexis, Westlaw, TLO, Public Data, or Skip Smasher (to name a few). What these database entities fail to disclose to unsuspecting consumers is that all of these databases are only 60% accurate at best. While some database entities boast a faster refresh rate, none of them fact check whether the information on their databases is correct. All of their information is dependent on the reliability and accuracy of meagerly paid employees entering information by hand. Additionally, it is rare for database entities to have any information beyond the mid-1990s. Furthermore, not all reporting entities share their information with database entities. A classic example is the City of Fort Worth. People seeking background check information from the City of Fort Worth must request their information in person, directly from the reporting entity generating that information.

For example, if you have a subject aged 50 or above, living in Fort Worth, with a criminal record from their 20’s, it’s highly likely that a database-only background check will indicate no criminal record for this individual, since the crime occurred prior to the mid-1990s, in Fort Worth. In this instance, a private investigator would need to go to every individual law enforcement entity in Fort Worth and hand-check records in order to determine whether their subject has any criminal history. If the private investigator you’re considering relies solely on database searches and neglects to hand-check a subject’s criminal history, the background check they’re providing you is incomplete.

It must be noted that a thorough, hand-verified background check costs significantly more than the $18.24/month advertised by entities such as Instant Checkmate or the $49.95 advertised by entities such as Intellius. When considering the cost of a background check or other private investigative services, this is an industry where you get what you pay for. Some consumers may be okay with a background check that’s 60% accurate at best whereas other consumers require results with a higher level of accuracy.

Additionally, it is important for consumers to consider a private investigator’s reputation regarding time management. For example, is it routine for the private investigator to wait until the last minute before a report is due to begin their investigation?  More importantly, is the “lead” investigator meeting with you only to reassign your case to a lesser experienced investigator or intern? To ensure this doesn’t happen to you, request for it to be written into your contract the name of every individual that will SPECIFICALLY be working on your investigation. Also request for it to be written into your contract that no other individuals will work on your investigation without your prior written consent.

For information regarding Nexus Investigations’ services and to receive a custom quote, contact (214) 736 – 7920. www.NexusInvestigations.com

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