SAY “PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR” and most people think of gumshoes gathering evidence in messy divorce cases or celluloid snoops (Sam Spade, Thomas Magnum, Veronica Mars) solving murder cases.
But there’s more to the undercover world than snapping pics of unfaithful spouses and figuring out who did it Agatha Christie-style. Private investigators are trained, skilled, licensed professionals, and in an age in which information is crucial for both personal and professional needs, their expertise and diverse services are hot commodities.
“Voyeurism is a big phenomenon now. P.I.s are getting involved in investigating and conducting searches in homes, schools and businesses for hidden cameras,” says Jimmie Mesis, editor in chief of the trade publication PI Magazine.
A sleuth for the past three decades, the 49-year-old says, “The number of perverts is increasing. They buy covert hidden cameras and no one knows they are being watched. The openings of these cameras are the size of a period at the end of a sentence.”
There are approximately 60,000 private investigators in the U.S. Mesis says, “Women are the fastest-growing group in the business,” thanks to increasing and wide-ranging opportunities for work and the ability to earn a substantial salary. With more law enforcement resources being allocated to areas like terrorism and homeland security, there’s a growing need for P.I.s to do background checks and other jobs as contractors.
Detectives conduct criminal and civil investigations involving fraud, insurance, homicide, domestic family matters, and child custody and identity theft. They also do surveillance operations, locate witnesses and missing persons, and serve official court documents. Between the federal government, private sector and self-employment, P.I.s find many potential employers in the D.C. region.
Many people who enter the profession have previous military experience, and approximately half of them have law enforcement backgrounds, according to those who work in the field. Some are former police officers, homicide detectives or FBI agents. The field also draws attorneys and other people who have worked legal jobs.
What does it take to get started? Certification requirements, including training and education, vary by locality. For example, there is no education requirement in the District, but Virginia requires a mandatory 60 hours of training before a P.I. can register. (Individual P.I.s are registered, and businesses are licensed.)
Classes are held in various locations throughout the commonwealth. Topics covered include ethics, law and general investigative skills. Course work also details investigative techniques, documentation, photography, report preparation and courtroom testimony. After completing the course and passing a test, students become registered private investigators.
Salaries vary by geographic region, employer and specialty. Mesis says, “Most licensed private investigators earn an [annual] salary of $45,000 to $75,000. However, there are many who earn $150,000 per year or more and, obviously, those with less motivation that might break $28,000.” Mesis says it’s realistic to expect to earn about $35,000 to $45,000 annually.
Warren Sonne, 58, a retired New York City police detective and founder and past president of the United States Association of Professional Investigators based in Washington, D.C, is a private investigator. He says good snoops have several traits in common.
“Investigators require an organized mind and need to keep things in perspective and be able to adjust theories. A competent investigator needs to have an inquiring mind and follow the facts,” he says.
Newbies may struggle at first.
“The problem with new investigators is they try to make facts fit theories,” says Sonne, who hires investigators for his two New York- and Florida-based investigative businesses. He adds, “Investigators must be discreet, have some modicum of integrity and guard against letting their own emotions about people influence where the case goes.”
Howard Miller, 60, teaches the Private Security Services Training Course — approved by the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services — at the Northern Virginia Security Academy in Falls Church, Va. An investigator for 35 years, Miller says it is important to develop expertise in an industry. Then, he says, “One can learn investigative techniques.”
The president of Miller Consulting Group in Falls Church, he describes the personality necessary to do undercover work: “A strong constitution, willing to work and do a job [that’s] not so glamorous, good health, education, self-discipline, a willingness to do unusual and risky things, and self confidence.”
Above all, Sherlock Holmes wannabes have to be willing to wait around for things to happen.
“The road to success may be long,” says Miller. “It tests your patience, and there is a sacrifice made on one’s personal life. One may not get immediate gratification of glory and excitement.”
And don’t apply in a big metropolitan area if you’re directionally challenged. Because an investigator has to travel to various locations and often get there quickly, Miller stresses, “Be a good land navigator and be able to read maps.” A good investigator will not just rely on MapQuest.
You’re also not cut out for this career if you’re a nine-to-fiver. Shirley Moore, 52, owns Potomac Investigations in Chantilly. She teaches wannabe sleuths at Central Academy there. She explains detectives must be ready to do things “at the drop of a hat.” Moore, at top, works 60 to 80 hours per week and acknowledges that, for some people, that sort of schedule can take a toll.
“The hours can be long and unpredictable,” she says. “You have to work when the work needs to be done. Holidays, evenings and weekends tend to disappear. It is a difficult profession to juggle with other commitments.”
Moore joined the field after spending 21 years in the banking industry.
“I had always been interested in true crime stories and have a naturally curious, nosey nature,” she says. “I met a customer at the bank who was a private investigator and ran a training school and, after talking with him for several months, decided to give it a try.”
Moore now employs three investigators at her agency, which conducts investigations in both civil and criminal cases.
“It is fun and exciting,” she says. “Criminal [cases are] my favorite. Every day is different.”
“In all cases, your goal, typically, is to get people to talk to you,” says Brad Garrett, 58, a retired FBI special agent who’s worked several high-profile cases. “The real bottom line is communication.”
Garrett was the lead FBI agent in the disappearance and homicide investigation of Capitol Hill intern Chandra Levy. Though Rock Creek Park has been combed by police innumerable times since her remains were found, Garrett continues to revisit the area, sifting for any clues or new leads that might solve her case.
He also played a key role in the 2002 D.C. sniper case, at one point interviewing Lee Boyd Malvo and obtaining a confession regarding Malvo’s and John Lee Mohammad’s participation in the sniper shootings.
“P.I. work has many similarities to law enforcement investigative work,” he says. “You are identifying people, locating them and, hopefully, interviewing them.”
Garrett claims the most rewarding aspect of his work is figuring out and corroborating what really happened, despite a lack of clues or other crucial evidence. “My job is to find the truth. I’m always looking for the bottom line.”
Kevin Hooks, director of Investigations for INTERPROBE in Fairfax, Va., has worked in the field since 1986. He currently deals with everything from insurance fraud cases and corporate surveillance to tracking down people who have disappeared. He says if you like Rubik’s Cube, consider this career.
“One must have an above-average degree of common sense, must be a good observer, have street smarts, have good academic skills, be a bit nosey and have an interest in solving puzzles,” says Hooks.
Both Garrett and Hooks acknowledge the boundaries between law enforcement officers and private investigators. They recognize that law enforcement officers have easier access to information because they possess a badge and have subpoena powers.
“I have to obtain records through public sources and interviews,” says Garrett.
Hooks adds, “Police have a badge. A P.I. has to find other ways to get information.”
Hooks says those who are cut out to be a sleuth will find it rewarding, despite the sacrifices.
“The job can be very lucrative if you are diligent about it and good at it,” he says. “If your heart is in it, you’ll know it after three months. It’s a job you would never get bored with — ever.”
» INVESTIGATIONS — GIVE IT A WHORL:
So, you think you want to be a snoop? Here’s the scoop on what it takes in the D.C. metro area.
» D.C.: There’s no education requirement, but you have to be at least 18 years old. You’ll have to be licensed, though, and that means you can’t have any arrest record. You’ll also need to provide your addresses for the past 10 years and fork over a $5,000 surety bond. Be prepared to be fingerprinted. D.C. Metropolitan Police Department: 202- 671-0500.
» Virginia: Private investigators must be at least 18 years old, be U. S. citizens or legal alien residents and successfully complete a 60-hour entry-level private investigator course at a facility approved by the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services. Individuals are registered (not licensed) for two years, and eight hours of in-service training must be completed within a year preceding the expiration date to maintain registration status. Department of Criminal Justice Services: 804-786-4000.
» Maryland: P.I.s must be licensed through the Maryland State Police and undergo background checks. Those without prior law enforcement experience must apprentice under a licensed private investigator for five years. Contact the Maryland State Police: 410-799-0191.
By Karen L. Bune for Express
Posted by Express at 12:32 AM on July 11, 2007
Tagged in Getting Ahead , Top Stories
