crime investigation.pdf

7/29/2019 crime investigation.pdf

1/17

DETECTIVE TRAINING INSTITUTE Lesson 1

Copyright owned by Art Kassel and DTI. No unauthorized reproduction.

The World of thePrivate Investigator

As you read this lesson, be prepared to answer the following questions:

1. What are the five major types of investigators practicing in todays investigative marketplace?

2. What is the formal definition of an investigator?

3. What are the differences between law enforcement, private investigation, and guard & patrol

services?

4. What are the powers and responsibilities of the private investigator, and how can he avoid abus-ing his power?

5. What dangers and risks do private investigators face?

6. When do private investigators carry guns?

7. What new roles do women play in private investigation, and why are their services valued?

8. What attributes and skills contribute to the success of the private investigator?

9. How are investigative achievements and experience recognized?

10. What terms are applicable to private investigation?

11. How can you determine your investigative interests and make maximum use of your skills and

talents in the investigative profession?

12. What is the common denominator in all areas of private investigation?

Congratulations on your decision to start a new

adventureyour efforts to learn about the

world of private investigation. Today, this field

is rapidly expanding and opportunities for

employment, advancement and agency owner-

ship are plentiful. With the knowledge and

skills learned from the DTI course and supple-

mental materials, you can be on your way

toward a rewarding, lucrative profession.

Starting now, you will be learning the varied,exciting skills and techniques that investiga-

tors must know in order to do their jobs

effectively. So that you can fully understand

the lessons presented in this course, you will

need to know something about The World of

the Private Investigator. This starting point

the first lessoncontains many important

topics that are relevant to your new career as a

private investigator. From basic definitions

and descriptions of types of investigators, to an

assessment of your skills and interests, thislesson helps you get started on a most

rewarding learning adventure.


2/17

Lesson 1 The World of the Private Investigator 3333

IntroductionPrivate investigation is an easy

profession to get into at any age and

at any level of your career develop-ment. The young and inexperienced

will most probably start out as a

field investigator in a detective

agency and enjoy trying out various

sneaky and devious movements,

while remaining

fundamentally honest

and knowing clearly

the difference between

right and wrong. They

will combine luck,with common sense

and street smarts, in

order to get results.

They will get plenty of

practice thinking on

their feet, looking over

their shoulders, and

coming up with fast,

ready answers if

caught in the middle

of something. The

young and inexperi-

enced will find many years of

challenging work and, with hard

work and persistence, be able to

make the many career transitions

that lead to success and financial

security.

Middle-aged individuals making a

mid-life career change will find that

private investigation offers an idealnext profession. These folks have

cultivated a genuine interest in

people and usually know the

various human problems and

motives. Because of their experi-

ence and maturity, they are able to

deal with varying, often unpredict-

able circumstances. Further,

middle-aged individuals usually

enter the profession with a wide

range of experience and knowledge

concerning the professional and

technical matters of life in generaland by nature are a curious type

who enjoy digging up all sorts of

information from a number of

sources. These qualities are ideal

for private investigation. And, since

the work is so varied, they can

focus on the aspects of private

investigation that fit their mental,

physical and educational level.

The third group, ex-law enforce-

ment officials, make the transition

easily. The only difficulty they may

have is adjusting to the new investi-

gative format for a variety of new

civil and business investigations

that were not a part of their previousofficial responsibilities. They bring

with them the cultivated official

demeanor and find new challenge in

running their own detective agen-

cies as a business, as opposed to

being a civil service employee.

Private investigation

is a profession for

men and women of

all ages, at any

stage in their career

development. To be

successful at it, you

must learn and

apply the proper

procedures, skills

and investigative

techniques.


3/17

The World of the Private Investigator Lesson 14444

For all three categories, learning

private investigation does not

require a college education or

formal law enforcement training,

although the latter can be helpful. Itonly requires knowing the proce-

dures, the skills, and investigative

techniques. Thats what this course

provides you, in full! Further, the

profession is fun and exciting to

learn. By taking DTIs training

course you will learn the skills andtechniques necessary to function as

a qualified investigator. Just follow

the road maps throughout your

course and you will find your

lessons interesting and very

informative.

This first lesson contains some very

important introductory topics which

will provide you perspective and

direction. We begin by defining and

describing different types of privateinvestigators, and compare them to

law enforcement and guard & patrol

services. We then discuss issues of

power and responsibility as they

relate to the professional investi-

gator; we place great emphasis on

maintaining a high level of integrity

and character. We go on to explore

the dangers and risks in private

investigation and the issues

concerning the use of guns.

Following that, is a consideration ofthe different certification programs

available, as well as other means to

increase your professional standing.

Then, we discuss the expanded

opportunities for women in private

investigation, and the attributes of

investigators who perform well.

Finally, we review the terms appli-

cable to private investigation and

offer guidance on how to maximize

your talents by determining yourinvestigative interest.

As you will see as you move

through the course, private investi-

gation is a challenging adventure

that combines human nature,

trickery, logic, physical skill, keen

observation and accumulating facts

and evidence. Thats an exciting

combination, and the profession is

well worth your time and effort.

Sowithout further introduction

lets begin!

Types of Investigators

Before we formally define the term

private investigator and discuss his

duties, lets take a look at the types

of investigators in practice today.

This brief view should give you

perspective on the tremendous

variety of working assignmentsavailable. Five major types are

discussed here. Note that some

investigative tasks may overlap, yet

each type has its unique purpose.

Surveillance and

photography are

two exciting activi-

ties used exten-

sively in almost allaspects of private

investigation.


4/17


1. General Investigatorthis

investigator has a multitude of

different clientssmall busi-

nesses, corporations, retail

establishments and individuals.For these clients he performs

many and varied services,

including location of missing

persons, pre-employment back-

ground checks, internal theft

investigations, undercover

investigations, surveillance,

process serving and electronic

security counter measures. No

list of assignments can exhaust

all possible potentialities; newsituations requiring new

approaches develop constantly.

One of the realities for general

investigations is the persis-

tence of such variables,

making every case and tech-

nique unique. The variability

springs from the nature of

human need and from the

conflicts and complexities of

our changing society.2. Legal Investigatorsthis

investigator is usually

employed by law firms

handling mostly personal

injury cases. A legal investi-

gators responsibility involves

accumulating and assembling

facts so an attorney can intelli-

gently apply the law in the best

interests of his client. The

legal investigator mainly inter-

views prospective witnesses

and experts used in the litiga-

tion. He also searches out

testimonial, documentary and

physical evidence. In defense

of criminal cases, the legal

investigator protects the

accused of his constitutional

rights. Finally, legal investiga-

tors frequently testify in court.

The nature of legal investiga-

tions varies considerably withthe area of law involved. Negli-

gence cases, for example,

require a great deal of investiga-

tive work. Damaged vehicles,

defective machines, and injured

persons all have to be exam-

ined. Witnesses have to be inter-

viewed at length in order to

determine the extent of negli-

gence. In workers compensa-

tion cases, negligence is not an

issue, but the extent of injury is.

Although there are

five general cate

gories of investi

gators, they al

share a common

denominator: they

collect Information

and facts

The Meaning of Forensic

What is a Forensic investigation? Forensic scientist? What are

some examples?

If you have interests in becoming a legal investigator, you

should know the meaning of Forensic and how it applies to

private investigation.

Forensic investigation is the application and interpretation ofscientific tests to an array of physical evidence which can be

debated or argued by each side in a court of law.

The forensic scientist or expert witness performs two primary

functions: (1) the scientific functioncollecting, testing and

evaluating evidence, and forming an opinion as to that

evidence; and (2) the forensic functioncommunicating and

Interpreting those findings and explaining the methods used to

reach those conclusions in a court of law.

The investigators role is to assist the expert or attorney in gath-

ering the evidence to be examined and help with the trial

preparation and testimony.

Some examples of civil forensic investigations include: environ-

mental, engineering, accident reconstruction, medicine andhealth, agriculture, building construction, and forensic photo-

graphy. Examples of criminal forensic investigations, where the

investigator would help represent the defendant, include: DNA,

serology (body fluids), latent prints, trace evidence, crime scene

reconstruction, questionable documents, case review and reex-

amination of evidence.

Many of the investigative techniques you will learn in your DTI

course will better prepare you for identifying and collecting

forensic evidence.


5/17


Likewise, the extent to which an

injury was work related

becomes an important aspect of

the investigation. In probate, an

investigation could involveeither locating missing heirs or

attempting to determine what

the mental state of the deceased

was at the time the will was

written. The underlying investi-

gative skills in all areas are basi-

cally the same.

3. Insurance Investigatorsthese

professionals are either

employed directly by insurance

companies, or are subcontracted

by them. Insurance investiga-

tors perform the same basic

functions as legal investigators,

but their goal is to defend the

insurance companies against

fraudulent claims. Their duties

include investigating cases

involving arson, product

liability, workmens compensa-

tion and personal injury, as well

as medical malpractice.

4. Corporate Investigators and

Industrial Securitymany large

corporations and businesses hire

from within their own security

forces to investigate internal

matters. The most common

investigations are pre-employ-

ment checks, internal theft,falsifying records, accidents,

workmens compensation, and

lawsuits.

These investi-

gators also

develop and

administer

internal

programs to

investigate

many crimes,

such as

pirating, trade

secrets and

shoplifting.

They are also

responsible for

minimizing

losses from natural and man-

made disasters. These investiga-

tors focus on general security

functions common to most

types of organizations, such as

physical security, disaster plan-

ning, computer security,

protecting proprietary informa-

tion, fire prevention and

terrorism. A new type of secu-

rity investigator concentrates on

security concerns of specific

organizations, such as govern-

ment installations, retailers,financial institutions, heath care

facilities and energy firms.

5. Specialized Related Fields

many investigators also perform

auto repossessions, bounty

hunting, bodyguard and security

work, all fields related to

private investigation. Many of

LEGAL

ADVISORY

Impersonating a Public Law

Enforcement Official

When private investigators conduct

activities such as displaying a badge to

a subject through a car window without

any explanation of themselves, ordisplaying a badge to a person and only

explaining that they are conducting an

investigation without first informing the

person of the private nature of the inves-

tigation, their actions run dangerously

close to impersonating a law enforce-

ment official. This is particularly true

since investigators always work in plain

clothes. Investigators should always

make sure they completely identify

themselves to avoid any appearance ofimpersonating a public law enforcement

official. In the particulars of an operation

are such that investigators cannot iden-

tify themselves, it is suggested that

investigators do not display anything

that may leave a person with a wrong

impression of their true authority.


6/17


the techniques used in these

specialized related fields are the

same as those used in primary

private investigation. However,

the range of skill and actualfact-finding tasks are limited.

Private investigators, with

interest in these areas, usually

work in these specialized

related fields as a secondary

business through their main

investigative business.

Definitions of Private

Investigators

We have already seen that the func-

tions of investigation are many and

multi-faceted. Now, lets get a bit

technical and nail down a formal

definition. From its Latin deriva-

tive, vestigare, investigationimplies a tracking, a search, an

assimilation, or collection of infor-

mation and facts. This essential

function is common to al types of

investigations, regardless of their

special purposes. The following

definitions of two of the major

types discussed above further

amplify the general definition and

provide more detail.

General Investigator

The statues in many

states have generally

defined the private

investigator as any

person who engages in

the business of, or

accepts employment to

make investigations to

determine information

of crimes or civil

wrongs, the location,disposition, or

recovery of stolen

property; the cause of

accidents, fires,

damages or injury to persons or to

property; or

evidence to be

used before any

court, board,

officer, or investi-

gative committee.

Private investiga-

tion can also be

defined as the

process of fact

assimilation. It is

the systematic

collection of

evidence neces-

sary to support or

refute a claim,

whether it be civil or criminal in

nature. Private investigation is the

process of observation, close

inspection and analysis, as well as

the continuous and regular inquiry

into a specific subject. Private

investigation is the search and

journey toward the reconstruction

Legal investigators

are routinely

assigned to recon-

struct accident

scenes or to deter-

mine the authen-ticity of claims.

70,000Private Investigators

It is estimated that there areabout 28,000 private investi-gation agencies in the UnitedStates. S ince an agencyemploys an average of 2.5investigators each, this givesan estimated 70,000 privateinvestigators in the UnitedStates. Your prospect of obta in ing a pos i t ion in adetective agency are goodespecially after you become aDTI graduate.


7/17


of events and conditions pertinent

to a clients needs and interest. It is

the collection of information to

resolve factual disputes and

confusing data. It can also be thesupplying of independent pieces of

information, such as names,

addresses and telephone numbers.

Legal Investigator

A legal investigator is trained in

techniques of fact finding and

forensic procedures (applying

scientific and medical knowledge to

legal matters for formal argumenta-

tion in law court). He is committed

to the pursuit of truth because it is

only by having verified facts at

hand that an attorney can intelli-

gently apply the law in the best

interest of his client. As we saw

earlier, his aim is to assemble ascomplete a factual picture of a situ-

ation as possible so that a case can

be prepared for trial.

Legal investigations differ from

general investigations in that they

include the following uniform

practices:

1. A logical investigative or proce-

dural sequence must be followed.

2. Real, physical evidence must be

legally obtained.

3. Real, physical evidence must be

properly stored and preserved.

4. Witnesses must be identified,

interviewed and prepared for

any potential or actual litigation.

5. Reports and documentation

must be collected.

6. Information must be accurately

and completely recorded.

7. Evidence collected must corre-late to the claim, cause of

action, or offense charged.

Comparing Law

Enforcement, Private

Investigation, and Guard

and Patrol Service

Since law enforcement, private

investigation, and guard & patrol

service are related, there could be

some confusion in understanding

the similarities and differences

among them. Lets briefly distin-

guish their functions so we may

obtain a better understanding of

private investigation.

Law Enforcement

Law enforcement agencies are

public agencies paid for by citizens

taxes. A police investigation is

conducted basically for the purpose

of apprehending a suspect of a

crime and locating evidence for a

successful prosecution of a case.

The police use three main sources

to reconstruct the past, as well as to

As a private investi-

gator, you will

develop skills in

interviewing and

interrogation that

will elicit precise,

relevant informa-

tion from people,

even when their

admission is made

against their self

interest.


8/17


identify and apprehend suspects:

people, records and evidence.

Private Investigations

Private investigation agencies, onthe other hand, are hired by a

variety of clients, such as banks,

hotels, insurance companies, stores,

lawyers, manufacturers, individ-

uals, etc. for varying purposes

including:

1. To determine if there is suffi-

cient factual evidence to support

or defeat each element of a

cause of action or a case at trial,

such as workmens comp, insur-ance fraud, medical malprac-

tice, criminal or civil cases, etc.

2. To locate persons or property.

3. To investigate frauds, embezzle-

ments, divorces, employee

thefts, etc.

4. To conduct background checks,

surveillances, asset checks,

interviews, undercover, etc.

Guard and Patrol Services

Guard and patrol personnel offer

their services to industrial plants,

financial institutions, educational

institutions, retail establishments,

hotels, health care facilities, recre-

ation facilities, libraries and

museums, warehouse and goods

distribution depots, etc. They

undertake the following

responsibilities:

1. Prevention and detection of

intrusion, unauthorized entry or

activity, vandalism, or trespass

on private property.

2. Prevention and detection of

theft, loss, embezzlement, mis-

appropriation or concealment of

merchandise, or other valuable

documents or papers.

3. Control, regulation, or direction

of the flow or movements of thepublic, whether by vehicle or

otherwise to assume the protec-

tion of property.

4. Protection of individuals from

bodily harm.

5. Enforcement of rules, regula-

tions and policy related to crime

reductions.

Power and Responsibilityof Being a Private

Investigator

New private investigators learn

certain confidential techniques that

give them power and ability over

the average citizen. They must,

therefore, adhere to a higher level

of responsibility and ethics. Some

of the skills a new investigatorlearns could result in a misuse of

power. They are:

Determining a persons true

identity

Determining an individuals

personal background

Becoming a pri

vate investigator

involves responsi

bility. That means

the ability to tel

right from wrong

to think and ac

professionally

and to be account

able for your

behavior

Ethics in privateinvestigation

means conforming

to the standards o

the profession

Integrity means

upholding sound

moral principles o

uprightness, hon

esty and sincerity

As a new investigator, you might be inclined to compromiseyour integrity just to survive. It can be tough. Not making

compromises in the beginning will pay dividends later in your

career. A good rule to follow: when conducting an investiga-

tion, should you experience uneasiness that your efforts are

pushing the limits of the law, you are in all probability, correct.

Therefore, stop the activity. All your investigative efforts should

not only be lawful, but honorable.

Pushing the Limits of the Law


9/17


Determine a persons current

employment

Determining someones per-

sonal and professional reputa-

tion

Determining a persons bank

balances, debt level and finan-

cial background

Determining a persons unlisted

telephone number

Learning to become a private inves-

tigator also entails learning

confidential techniques to move

smoothly and swiftly through any

bureaucratic system. Investigators

know how to avoid certain restric-

tions that normally prevent access

by the average citizen.

But gaining a higher level of power

and professional ability must be

balanced with a higher level of

responsibility. In few other busi-

nesses or professions is one

expected to maintain the high stan-

dards of integrity as one needs as aninvestigator. An investigator must

possess good moral character and

be exemplary in conduct, honesty,

and loyal to the profession.

Danger and Risks in

Private Investigation

Some aspects of private investiga-

tion have no inherent danger or risk.

These include searching publicrecords, pre-trial preparation for

civil actions, computer crime inves-

tigations, etc. But, many other

aspects of private investigation do

involve danger and risk. There are

two types of danger: expectedand

unexpected. When investigators can

anticipate a high probability of

danger, then the danger is expected.

Examples include: criminal investi-

gation, employee theft, undercover

investigation, process serving,

marital investigations, surveillance,

and bodyguard work. Unexpected

danger on the other hand is unfore-

seeable and uncontrollable.

Examples include an ambush or

assault when you least expect it.

Risk, on the other hand, is the

voluntary taking of a dangerous

chance. For example, an investi-

gator on surveillance risks the

hazards of running a red light

because he does not want to lose the

subject. Risk in this case is taken

under conditions of uncertainty(possible auto collision) which

exposes the investigator to possible

loss in order to reach a desired

outcome (maintaining surveillance

on the subject). Investigators take

certain risks because they strive for

some benefit or professional

compensation.

Private investiga-

tors often make

arrests during busi-

ness investigations

such as internal

theft, embezzle-ment and fraud.

Thus, investigators

must know arrest

tactics and hand-

cuffing techniques.

In addition to

other risks, some

aspects of private

investigation

require confronta-tion, such as pre-

senting facts to a

subject face-to-

face. Such an

uncomfortable sit-

uation requires

intestinal fortitude

(guts) and strong

nerves.


10/17


From the psychological standpoint,

the exposure to risk and danger

itself appeals to many individuals.

Many private investigators, as well

as those in related fields such as lawenforcement, get as much satisfac-

tion from knowing that they face

constant danger. However, it is not

the harm or danger they value, but

the heightened intensity which

comes from the exposure and the

added challenge of keeping it from

happening. In other words, many

investigators thrive on the adrena-

line rush. Those who enjoy the risks

and dangers of private investigationdo not envision themselves as

taking outrageous chances. Rather,

they prefer to see danger as an

intense stimulant to overcome chal-

lenging assignments.

Carrying a Gun

As a general rule, private investiga-

tors do not carry guns. Movies and

detective television series feed onfantasies of private eyes that pack

guns and beat the truth out of the

bad guys. This is far from the truth.

The private investigators work

consists of cases that do not involve

street arrests or dealing with violent

criminals. That job belongs to the

police. However, in some circum-

stances, private investigators do

need to carry guns, at times, after

obtaining a weapons permit fromtheir local Sheriffs department.

These incidents include bodyguard

assignments, protecting evidence,

organized crime cases, or when

there is a direct threat on an investi-

gators life.

From a psychological standpoint,

carrying a gun can give a private

investigator a distorted sense of

power. The transformation from an

anonymous civilian to a privateinvestigator can create the illusion

of power and superiority, which can

have a profound impact on the

investigators self concept. He can

mistakenly regard himself more

capable, stronger and smarter than

others. Carrying a gun makes him

think he is the person hes dreamed

of becoming, thus gratifying child-

hood fantasies of omnipotence.

Such feelings can become addic-tive, since power and authority are

important vehicles to pleasure.

Eventually, the private investigator

cannot resist his addiction. After all,

the opposite feelings are powerless-

ness and fear, which reinforce the

need to carry a weapon. The well-

balanced private investigator is

aware of this power temptation and

balances it with good judgment,

emotional maturity and moderation,and finds no need to carry a gun

except in certain situations.

Women in Private

Investigation

The private investigation profession

may have been marked as a mans

domain in the past, but that image is

beginning to change. The number

of women in the field, while stillsubstantially smaller than the

number of men, is rising rapidly.

The days of the tough, ex-cop,

bourbon in the desk drawer and

carrying a .45 gun, are over. Today,

data detectives are becoming far

more prevalent than the traditional

New and inexperienced investiga

tors often believe

authority means

carrying a gun and

badge, and giving

intimidating com

mands. Experi

enced investiga

tors, however

know that author

ity and influence

result from

knowledge, selfassurance and

expertise

Women who par

ticipate in this traditionally male

career are now

greatly valued

because of their

flexibility in han

dling diverse

assignments


11/17


tough, two-

fisted PI.

Women do an

exceptional

job inresearching

court docu-

ments, using

computers,

gathering

data, etc.

Women are

also effective

as people

detectives,

skills verymuch in

demand.

They do an

exemplary

job of inter-

viewing

clients and thus have a much better

chance of obtaining information

from people than their male coun-

terparts. People are usually

suspicious and apprehensive of amale investigator, but when they

interact with a female investigator,

they dont feel as threatened.

People also tend to relax when a

woman is on the phone. It is much

easier for a woman to use a tele-

phone pretext for obtaining

information than it is for her male

counterpart. Even on surveillances,

a female detective is less likely to

arouse suspicion or apprehension ina subject. This is especially true

when the subject is a woman who

frequently fears the possibility of

being stalked or assaulted by a man.

Even when a female investigator

follows a male subject, he is less

likely to become suspicious of her

presence. This increases the proba-

bility of success.

If you are a male trainee who plans

to start your own agency, DTI

recommends teaming up with afemale agent, wife, girlfriend, or

associate. You will have a much

higher chance of success as a male/

female team than if you work indi-

vidually or in an all-male

environment. If you are a female

and training to become a detective,

your opportunities are unlimited.

You can easily get a job in a detec-

tive agency or work easily with a

male counterpart as a two personteam, especially after becoming a

DTI graduate.

Many medium size detective agen-

cies tend to hire more women today

than in the past. They find that they

are more dedicated and conscien-

tious. In one detective agency, for

example, for every twelve investi-

gators hired, eight are women.

Private Investigators

Who Perform Well

Many studies show the personal

attributes and professional skills

necessary for success. They provide

a mechanism for measuring traits

that can help you evaluate yourself

at any point in your career. By

reviewing the following list, you

can get valuable feedback as to yourcurrent strengths and weaknesses.

Heres what you should look for in

yourself:

1. Intelligence and reasoning

abilitycan you analyze and

integrate many facts into a plan

or report? Can you use facts to

draw conclusions?

Male-female

detective teams

have a much higher

success rate than

all-male teams

because of the

diverse skills each

bring to the effort.


12/17


2. Curiosity and imaginationare

you driven to hunt down all

pertinent facts and clues, taking

nothing for granted? Are you

skeptical of the obvious? Doyou have a sense for the

unusual? Can you tell when

something is out of place or not

in keeping with the norm? Are

you suspicious enough about

human nature to keep digging

for better answers? Are you

fully aware of your surround-

ings so that you notice small

things that may offer clues?

3. Observation and memoryareall five senses intact and func-

tioning (sight, hearing, touch,

smell, taste)? Are you alert and

attentive?

4. Knowledge of life and people

can you deal with people from

all walks of life, minorities,

inner-city residents, suburban

dwellers, the young, the old? Do

you have common sense, anoutgoing personality, a spirit of

cooperation, emotional stability,

and acting ability for role

playing?

5. Technical know-howcan you

use technical equipment

(cameras, videos, computers,

etc.) in your investigations to

gather facts or document

activities?

6. Perseverance, stick-to-itiveness,

and energymany who wish to

become private investigators

believe the job involves a glam-

orous lifestyle. But, the ability

not to tire easily, survive

boredom, and keep energy in

reserve in order to carry on is

more realistic. Do you have

those qualities?

7. Recognize and control bias and

prejudice in oneself and on the

jobcan you acknowledge yourown biases and balance them

with the truth in order to main-

tain objectivity?

8. Sensitivity to peoples feel-

ingscan you act with discre-

tion and tack? Do you respect a

confidence?9. Honesty and courage to with-

stand temptation and corrup-

tioncan you just say no to a

bribe? Can you avoid an

emotional involvement with a

client, even if the temptation is

strong?

What Are Gut Feelings?

Ever wonder how some investigators solve

mysteries with little clues, or know the truth about

a person or situation that isn't obvious to others?

Its called gut feelings or intuition.

Having a gut feeling is merely a judgment thathas come to the surface with spontaneity. It is

also called a cognitive experience, a guess, spec-

ulation, inference, conjecture, extrasensory

perception, etc. Frequently it is a vague, hazy

sensation, proving little more than inkling or a

sense of direction. This makes it no less valuable,

only more difficult to evaluate.

Gut feelings do not have a logical sequence.

They leap across chasms of missing information,

make sideways detours, and bring together

unusual, even illogical combinations. Gut feel-

ings have no restrictions; it is the product of the

minds capacity to do many things at once without

being aware of them.

But, gut feelings have their shortcomings too.

They permit a conclusion without total evaluation

of all variable factors. And, if a situation is not

within the limits of previous experiences, then all

that is left is a gut feeling which can be risky in

some situations.


13/17


10. Ability to testify in courtare

you familiar with the rules of

evidence and the pitfalls of

cross-examination? Can you

maintain sincerity as a witnessand state facts impartially so

you are credible?

11. Communications skills

can you speak effec-

tively to people? Are

you a good listener?

Can you use public

relations skills to sell

yourself? Does your

physical appearance

communicate profes-sionalism and confi-

dence?

12. Passion and purpose

do you have a burning desire to

learn and become a private

investigator? Do you feel a deep

purpose and meaning in

entering the private investiga-

tion field? Have you always

thought that you would make agood PI?

No doubt you did very well on

some items, and perhaps not so well

on others. Your strengths will give

you an advantage immediately.

Your weaknesses can easily be

overcome with study and practice.

Thats what this course is all about.

CertificationPrivate investigation, like other

professions, has levels of achieve-

ment and recognition based upon

experience. This achievement is

recognized through certification,

the purpose of which is to establish

a professionally recognized stan-

dard. Certification provides special

recognition of performance and

investigative skill development that

attests to your years of experience

as a private investigator.Included in this illustration is a

business card of a private investi-

gator operating in California.

Notice after his name are the initials

CPP, CFE, CPI. These stand for

American Society for Industrial

Security, National Association of

Fraud Examiners, and Certified

Professional Investigator. There

are approximately twelve to fifteenprofessional certification programs

available to experienced investiga-

tors as they proceed through their

careers. The requirements for certi-

fication vary from program to

program. Generally, the investigator

must have two years work experi-

ence as a full time investigator. The

programs require you to take a

written and oral examination. Some

require that you complete anaccredited college, school or

training program, such as DTI.

Other certification programs require

that you prepare a paper of at least

1000 words on any investigative

subject.

Licensing and certi-

fication merely

establish your cre-

dentials at the state

level. However, spe-

cialized training can

make your services

more valuableandmarketableto new

employers and

clients.

CONFIDENTIAL Telephone 619/440-3400

CHSCHSCHSCHS

CHARLES H. SMALL, JR., CPP, CFE, CPICHARLES H. SMALL, JR., CPP, CFE, CPICHARLES H. SMALL, JR., CPP, CFE, CPICHARLES H. SMALL, JR., CPP, CFE, CPI

PRIVATE INVESTIGATORLicense No. P.I. 3947

San Diego: P.O. Box 12232, El Cajon, CA 92022 Los Angeles: 213/964-2736

Orange County: 714/533-5222

1/800/4000CHS


14/17


Terms Applicable to

Private Investigation

The following terms are used

throughout your course. Theseterms are specifically relevant to the

aspects of conducting work or

assignments.

Skill

In this course you will develop

many new skills that will increase

your ability to investigate a wide

range of cases. Skills are something

you learn to do. They are competen-

cies that you will develop as a resultof training, experience, and/or

education.

Investigative Technique

Investigative technique is the

process of combining many investi-

gative skills in carrying out an

assignment. Some investigations

only require using one investigative

technique, such as surveillance,

while other assignments requiremultiple techniques, such as

conducting a surveillance, then

conducting a telephone pretext call,

then using video equipment to

document the incident.

Task

This is the actual undertaking of the

assignment involving labor or diffi-

culty. It does not necessarily

involve skill, or investigativetechnique.

Knowledge

Knowledge provides awareness,

familiarity, and understanding of

such things as laws, crimes, equip-

ment, tricks of the trade, etc., that

will increase your well rounded

awareness of private investigation.

Procedural StepsMany investigations, such as legal

investigations, insurance investiga-

tions, missing persons investigations,

fraud investigations, etc., require a

particular course of action or

sequential steps to follow to

complete the assignment. It is the

established way of carrying out

assignments. The procedural steps

may require using your skill, inves-

tigative technique, knowledge, or acombination of all three. Many

investigations are inherently

complex. Some procedural steps

cannot be executed until other steps

have been

completed first, or

carried out in

parallel. Should

the procedures be

out of sync with

each other, thewhole investiga-

tion may be

jeopardized. Pay

particular atten-

tion to the

procedural steps

outlined in your

Initially, an assign

ment is like a mys

tery; it excites

curiosity because

it is unexplained

unknown or

secret. It requires

ingenuity tha

results in graduadiscovery, and

ultimately, a

solution

Investigators

acquire expertise by

continually confront

ing new situations

where they must

apply skills theyalready know


15/17


training course. This is the back-

bone of conducting all

investigations.

AssignmentsAlso Known as

Investigations or Cases

The whole investigative assignment

process begins when a client has a

need to fulfill. The need may be to

investigate an internal theft,

conduct a background check, find a

missing person, or obtain an

unlisted telephone number. Assign-

ments are directed at achieving

specific results. They can be simple

and entail carrying out only oneactivity, or complex, entailing many

related activities. An assignment is

a systemthat is, a whole made up

of interrelated parts, or procedural

steps. Assignments are undertaken

in a finite period of time. They are

temporary. They have reasonably

well defined beginnings, middles,

and ends. When the assignment

goals are achieved, the assignment

ends. While many assignments maybe similar, each is, to a degree, a

one-of-a-kind undertaking.

Talent

Investigative talents are natural

capabilitiesor appear to be. Its

possible to describe one or another

investigator as having a talent for

surveillance, or a nose for facts,

or an uncanny ability to use equip-

ment. In most cases, the talent isactually maximized through

learning and practice. You can

maximize your talents by devel-

oping investigative skills around

them. You will find that the more

you use your talents, the easier your

work will be.

A major obstacle to developing

your talents is unnecessarily strug-

gling through every case in the false

belief that you are the only one

having this difficulty.

You can let go of the struggle by

believing that the investigative

problems you constantly face are

the norm, and are present in every

detective agency and faced by everyinvestigator.

As you progress through your

course, determine your likes and

dislikes and what skills seem to

come easily to you. These are the

ones which will naturally develop

into talent, and will eventually lead

to expertise in that particular area of

investigation.

Determining YourInvestigative Interests

As you proceed through your

training, you will learn how to

investigate many different assign-

ments. You will also be exposed to

many investigative techniques,

technological equipment and skills

A clue is a bit of

information that

gradually leads

the investigator

out of perplexity.

InvestigativeCreativity

Investigators require creativity,imagination and flexibility inmany investigations. Whiletextbooks and courses offermany invaluable investigativetechniques, the successfulinvestigator looks beyond thetextbooks and courses forways to achieve results and

satisfy clients. He combinespractical knowledge, special-ized equipment, and confiden-tial techniques with creativeinventiveness to obtain thefactual picture about a situa-tion, occurrence or person.


16/17


used by todays professionals. This

process will give you a chance to

determine your likes and dislikes,

as well as your strengths, weakness,

talents, and skills. Some studentsshow talent in surveillance,

following people, and employing

trickery. Others develop talent

using telephone pretexts, inter-

viewing subjects, finding missing

persons, and skip tracing. Many

also like working for insurance

companies, or investigating

workmens comp cases, since the

work is consistent and steady.

Retired or ex-law enforcementstudents like dealing with the crim-

inal aspect of private

investigationinternal theft,

narcotics, arson, fraudand make

good witnesses since they have

years of experience testifying in

court. Or, you may enjoy working

with attorneys in pre-trial prepara-

tion. This course will help you

decide your own special interests

and where you would most like toworkin a corporation, an insur-

ance company, an investigative

agency, or independently.

But, no matter what area or combi-

nation of areas where your strengths

and interests lie, there is one abso-

lutely necessary common

denominator for the entire detective

profession:private investigators

collect factual information. Without

information, there are no cases, and

there is no success. Investigators

obtain information from three main

sourcespeople, records, and

physical evidence. And, they use a

variety of investigative techniques,

procedural steps, confidential

sources and equipment to assist in

its gathering. The process is fasci-

nating, as the assembling of

information ultimately leads to the

successful conclusion of cases.

As you proceed through your DTItraining, pay close attention to the

Records Used In.... These are

condensed outlines of the proce-

dural steps for specific investiga-

tions. And, as you learn about these

procedural steps, investigative tech-

niques, and equipment, ask your-

self, What information can be

obtained using these methods? By

the end of your training you willhave developed professionally to

the point where you can work very

effectively as a new private investi-

gator. You will know how to obtain

information on any incident,

person, or past event by paying

Information gath

ering is at the

heart of private

investigation

Investigators ge

their information

from three

sources: people

records and

physical evidence

DTIs trainingturns new investi

gators into fully

functioning mem

bers of the detec

tive profession

faster and more

thoroughly than

any other known

training method

Art or Science

Successful investigation involves a balance

between two polar views: investigation as an art

versus investigation as a science. If art and

science are part of a continuum, where does the

separation point lie? The answer depends on

what aspect of private investigation is under

consideration. For example, surveillance, inter-

viewing, telephone pretext and undercover work

are all examples of investigation as an art

requiring the skills acquired through the artful

application of learned techniques. If you swing

far to the other side you'll find the physical andbiological sciences. This would include labora-

tory examination of evidence and traffic accident

reconstruction. Although the private investiga-

tion field is becoming more focused on

academic study and research and moving by

degrees toward science, and in which the

impact of forensic science is felt more and more,

the art aspect of investigation involving skill and

creative investigative technique has and always

will be a big part of private investigation.


17/17


close attention to the techniques

you learn in this course.

You are about to begin a most chal-

lenging, gratifying chapter in your

professional life. We wish you goodluck, and look forward to the day

when you can proudly say you have

completed DTIs training and are

ready to begin your new career.

Review

This introductory lesson has offered

you a comprehensive overview of

the investigative profession. You

have discovered the definitions andtypes of private investigators, and

have learned the differences

between them and other related

professions, such as law enforce-

ment and guard & patrol services.

You have also learned about the

nature of power and responsibility

assumed by private investigators.

We especially emphasized main-

taining a very high level of integrity

and character to avoid abusingpower. You learned about the

dangers and risks that are part of the

investigative profession, and how

they are often a stimulus for excite-

ment for some investigators. Issues

concerning use of guns by investi-

gators was also explored.

We then went on to discuss certifi-

cation and its value to establishing

your credentials, and offered guid-

ance on how you can advance

professionally. The increasing

prominence of women as investiga-

tors was explored, as well as their

value to agencies and investigative

teams. We reviewed some terms

applicable to private investigation,

and concluded with a brief discus-

sion on determining your

investigative interests.

If you believe you have mastered

the instruction in this lesson, turn to

the next page for the ProgressCheck.

There is a clearrelationship

between high-

quality training

and the ability to

perform high-tech

investigations.

Expect to be chal-

lenged in the com-

ing lessons and

enjoy the pursuit

of developing your

investigative

talents.

crime investigation.pdf

Documents

Transcript of crime investigation.pdf