The modern day private investigator does much more these days than you might suspect. Typically, a professional investigator will have training and experience in many areas of investigation, and may specialize in one or two. For example, many states have licensing laws governing the activities of private investigators. Typically in these states, a potential private investigator will have to sit a state examination and pass a criminal background check before being allowed to accept customers.
The modern investigator also handles much more sophisticated tasks than they used to be called upon to handle. Often they work with corporations and other governmental agencies to discover information that more traditional routes don’t disclose. If the time comes when you need to engage a private investigator, how do you get past the stereotypes and select a credible and ethical private investigator to work on your behalf.
The first selection criteria will be training and experience. The two actually go in tandem. While a good investigator may be thoroughly trained, it often takes significant experience to become an outstanding investigator. Make certain that you ask probing questions about past experience, especially with the kind of case you are considering using them for. Checking references will more than likely be problematic since most privatae investigators are under confidentiality agreements as part of their arrangement with other clients. You want an investigator who honors that agreement, but you are going to have to do some good questioning to ensure that the experience level is what you need it to be.
Unlike many other areas of life, asking a friend or family member for a reference to a private investigator is likely to lead to more questions than answers, for obvious reasons. Because of that, you will need to see if an investigator holds memberships in any national organizations or societies designed for their profession. The two most popular groups are the National Association of Legal Investigators and the American Society of Industrial Security. However, because these groups are not obligated to monitor or provide oversight of their members, they will usually only provide a starting point for selection.
There are other considerations, of course, but a good place to start looking for Private Investigators in Orange County would be Pagones-O’Neill (Visit Pagonesoneill.com). They are experienced, sensitive investigators who will be happy to answer any questions they can about their work and services.
