Become a Private Detective

The work of a private detective is varied. It can involve providing surveillance services, investigating employee theft, tracing missing persons, and advising firms on security issues from industrial espionage to de-bugging. Some private detectives devote their energies to finding out what errant husbands and wives or even wayward children are up to.

Don’t be seduced, however, into thinking that it’s all Raymond Chandler-esque glamour and action. The most successful private detectives are ordinary people who keep a low profile and possess patience, common sense and tenacity.

According to figures from the Association of British Investigators (ABI), 80% of members are former police officers. Others have worked for law firms or were journalists; in trades and professions that provide the contacts necessary for successful private detective work.

The security industry, of which private detectives are a part, is worth £3bn a year and is growing fast. Academic qualifications aren’t necessary to get a start in the business, but some training is useful. The ABI website has a list of courses that range from an introduction to detective work, to courses on surveillance methods, tracing elusive debtors, and how to give evidence in court.

Some people start by working in the administration side of a large detective agency, and then set up on their own. If you are self-employed, hourly rates outside London are in the range of £40 to £50, plus expenses.

Anyone can call themselves a private detective, but from 2006 investigators will have to be licensed by the Security Industry Authority, a government body designed to regulate the private security industry.

Women can make some of the most successful private investigators, as they often arouse less suspicion than men. It’s easier for women to hang around outside schools or in parks, for example, and people are less intimidated when women call at their door asking questions.

Private detective work can be dangerous, and personal safety must be taken seriously. Many private investigators keep a low profile and don’t advertise their line of work too widely.

‘Paula’, a 23-year-old law graduate from Scotland, is an example of the new generation of private detective. She works for a detective agency in Edinburgh.

A typical day’s work for her can involve spending hours cooped up in the back of a van, staking out the home of, say, someone making a possibly fraudulent health insurance claim. The work can be boring at times.

As Paula describes: “You can sit in a car for eight hours and something will happen in the last five minutes, which makes it all worthwhile. But people don't realise how long it can take.”

Following unsuspecting members of the public and filming or recording their conversations has led to accusations that private investigation is sneaky, immoral even.

But companies, from insurance firms to banks, believe it is vital to discover the truth about people and their situations, such as whether a spouse is committing adultery or an insurance claim is false. A private detective’s surveillance can only work to an honest applicant’s advantage.

Further reading

See the UK Net Guide articles Self Employment: The Essential Things to Do, and visit the following websites: www.theabi.org.uk and www.the-sia.org.uk.