The guide for becoming a private investigator. This book is intended for the novice who wants to become a private investigator as well as for former law enforcement, former military intelligence, security personnel, paralegals, legal professionals, or other individuals. Learn how to obtain a license, how to set up a private investigation agency, how to market your services, how to find information, types of investigative cases, contracts and report writing, and much more.

Introduction to Private Investigation is designed to provide the essential knowledge and procedures needed to operate successfully as a private investigator. It is both an instructional textbook for those individuals desiring a career as a private investigator, and a resource manual that can be an invaluable tool for later reference. The approach is a direct, concise style, which facilitates comprehension by novices as well as experienced private investigators, and makes possible competent and professional performance of all types of private investigation. The purpose for writing this book is to fill the existing need within the field for a precise comprehensive text detailing the development of skills necessary for professional investigative work. In addition, there is a lack of recent, up-to-date textbooks currently available to individuals wishing to learn about private investigation. Introduction to Private Investigation will help fill this void. This easy-to-read textbook for investigators is filled with practical information and stories that will provide extremely valuable training. One unique attribute of the book is its commitment to the practice of private investigation in the private business sector as well as the public sector. Another notable quality is its concern with both the portrayal of private investigation as a legitimate professional discipline and the subsequent degradation of the popular, media propagated misconceptions of private investigators. Two new chapters have been added in this second edition, "Criminal Defense Investigation" and "Bioethics, Investigation, and the Occult," due to a complete lack of material for each subject pertaining to Professional Investigation. It will enable the professional investigator or apprentice to sharpen the skills they use every day. Be it undercover, surveillance, interviewing, case preparation, or courtroom testimony, even the most seasoned veterans understand the need to be on top of their game in order to provide clients with the best possible results. This book will help you accomplish that understanding. It will provide you with the basic skills, knowledge and required tools before you go into battle with the Scales of Justice.

In today‘s increasingly litigious society, the threat of a private investigator (PI) being hit with a civil lawsuit or even criminal charges is very real. Keeping up with the multitude of laws that impact what investigators can and can‘t do can be daunting but could prove very costly if ignored.Emphasizing legal and liability issues, The Elements o

After providing an overview of the history and functions of private investigation and private security services, this book provides information and guidance on the knowledge and skills required of a private investigator, with attention to the use of the scientific approach. The first chapter describes the nature of private investigation, with attention to the evolution of the profession over the years, regulation of and standards for the profession, and the characteristic of an ideal private investigator and security specialist. Terrorism is portrayed as today's new threat with which security specialists must deal. The second chapter sets the stage for a scientific approach to the work of security and private investigation. It describes the scientific method, associated research techniques, logical reasoning, and how to improve one's memory. The scientific method is contrasted with unscientific methods. The third chapter focuses on human behavior. It contains discussions of the complexity of human behavior, personality theories, human needs, life stages, the differences between male and female brains, and what is "normal." A separate chapter addresses abnormal and criminal behavior. It considers mental disorders, evaluation of mental status, causes of abnormal behavior, the nature of criminal behavior, the use-of-force continuum, the prevention of workplace violence, and suicide prevention. A chapter on interviewing skills covers planning, the voice, listening skills, word use, interaction, conversational tactics, the cognitive interview, and stress interviews. Other chapters focus on the art of interrogation; writing skills; issues of leadership and management; court procedures and being a witness; and how the private investigator should manage his/her professional life in maintaining integrity and ethical behavior, in managing the media, and in fighting burnout.

While popular movies and novels romanticize the role of private investigators, the reality is quite different. It takes intense training, skill, and dedication to become a detective and the journey is far from easy. Fortunately, professional private investigator Philip Becnel offers his expertise to help you navigate this career in Private Investigator Entry Level (02E) Drawn from Becnel s experience working as a private investigator and college instructor, this informative textbook offers an excellent balance of both theory and practice, and raises the bar on the quality of all private investigation instruction. Divided into informative, easy-to-understand sections, Becnel discusses important topics such as: Types of investigators Ethics and professionalism General investigative skills Documents and laws exclusive to the investigating profession Categories of investigations And much more Written specifically as an instructional tool for the entry course required of all private investigators in the state of Virginia, this essential handbook nevertheless is a perfect textbook for beginners in any state and a reference manual for more seasoned investigators anywhere. Both entertaining and educational, this guide is a must for anyone interested in delving into the world of private investigating.

This book is based on interviews with eight top investigators with different specialties, describing how they became private eyes and solve their cases. It's a behind the scenes look at investigating murder and mayhem, using high-tech listening or spying devices, tailing someone, going undercover, conducting interrogations, using public records, and working with police and government agencies.

This book will help the private investigator reevaluate business opportunities and identify goals for the future. The world of the private investigator is constantly changing due to the introduction of various legal requirements that have restricted or eliminated some of the methods available for obtaining information such as the various privacy protection acts. Additionally, most private investigators have restricted their business activities to a response mode; that is, conducting inquiries after an incident has occurred. Their preventive skills have been ignored to their financial detriment. As restrictions continue to be placed on private investigative activities, private investigators need to reevaluate personal skills and discover how these may relate to expanding their services. This book provides the necessary information for learning about these new skill areas and provides the necessary strategies for their implementation. Some of the topics cover crime and loss prevention strategies, risk assessment, and prevention strategies. Many other topics are also covered such as that of the expert witness. This is not a difficult status to attain but requires unique skill sets and experience and can be highly lucrative. Crises management is another skill set that is explored here. It not only identifies potential risk areas through risk assessment activities but includes development and implementation of preventive measures and shows how the private investigator can assist in restoring business operations to their normal levels. This book will be of enormous help to private investigators who wish to develop these sophisticated investigative business skills and preventive services in order to meet these challenges for surviving and thriving in this modern age industry.