The life of a private investigator can be as varied as the cases they work. Danger, intrigue, investigation, going undercover, being the bearer of bad or unsettling news. It’s all in a day’s work. Just as private investigating isn’t all fedoras and trench coats, neither is it all about tailing people down dark alleys. There’s research to do, questions to ask and walls to hit.
Many private investigator careers are enhanced by the completion of a training program. This can lead to higher pay and more job opportunities for private investigators. Check out the schools below which offer free information:
Private Investigator by Penn Foster Career School
So just what is being a private investigator all about?
Private Investigator Job Responsibilities
Private investigators help individuals, attorneys, and businesses by gathering and analyzing intelligence. They make links between clues to discover facts about personal, financial, or legal matters. Private investigators may impart services such as corporate, executive, and celebrity protection; individual background profiles as well as pre-emplyment verification. Computer crimes also fall under the responsibility of private investigators including harassing e-mails, identity theft, and the unlawful procurement of copyrighted materials. They can assist in civil and criminal liability cases, cases of fraud, insurance claims, protection and child custody cases and premarital screening as well as missing-person cases.
A private investigator’s responsibilities can vary depending on the needs of the client. For fraudulent workers’ compensation claims cases, investigators engage in long-term covert observation of the target. If suspect activity is observed that is at odds with the claim, the investigator would document the incident and present it to the client.
Private Investigator Training and Education Requirements
The formal education requirements for private investigating are mostly non-existent, but most do have postsecondary degrees. Classes to take into consideration are criminal justice and police science. Some go into the occupation directly after college graduation, oftentimes with a bachelor’s or associate’s degree in either police science or criminal justice. Any experience in police investigation would not go amiss.
A great deal of the work of a private investigator is learned on the fly while on the job. Rookie investigators normally start by learning how to use multiple databases in order to gather intelligence. The training imparted here relies mostly on the firm. Working at an insurance company teaches the investigator how to spot insurance fraud and working at a firm that specializes in domestic cases can teach hopeful investigators how to perform surveillance. Learning by doing is the normal approach in these cases.
Computer forensics investigators never stop learning; the training in their field is something that is constantly shifting and evolving. They gain knowledge by attending courses and conferences offered by professional associations and software vendors.
Professional Investigator Salary and Wages
The wages of private investigators are determined by specialty, employer, and their geographical area. In May of 2008 the median annual wages of salaried private investigators were $41,760. Between $30,870 and $59,060 was earned by the middle fifty percent. The lowest ten percent earned less than $23,500, and the highest ten percent earned more than $76,640.
Professional Investigator Certifications
Some private investigators have been known to receive certification from professional organizations to demonstrate capability in the field. Take for example the National Association of Legal Investigators. It confers the Certified Legal Investigator designation on licensed investigators who reserve a great deal of their practice to criminal defense investigations or negligence. The applicant is required to have 5 years of investigative experience in order to be designated in addition to meeting the educational requirements and continuing-training prerequisites as well as successfully passing oral and written exams.
ASIS International is a trade organization for the security industry that provides the Professional Certified Investigator certification. In order to qualify the applicant is required to have a high school diploma or its equivalent, 5 years of investigations experience (including 2 years overseeing investigations), and they must successfully complete an exam.
A great deal of private detective agencies are small and don’t have very much room for advancement. In most cases there are no concrete ranks or steps, and therefore advancement takes the form of salary increases and assignment status. Many detectives and investigators open firms of their own after securing a few years of experience. Legal and corporate investigators may move on to supervisor or manager of the security or investigations department.
Private Investigator Professional Associations
The National Association of Legal Investigators was created in 1967 for legal investigators actively working in negligence investigations for the plaintiff and/or criminal defense. Such investigators may be employed by law firms, private investigative agencies, or public defenders. Their main focus is to advance and educate the science and art of legal investigation as well as to ensure the utmost standards of professional ethics.
The American Society for Industrial Security, or ASIS, International was founded in 1955 and is an association dedicated to expanding the productivity and effectiveness of security professionals by creating educational materials and programs catered to a vast variety of security, such as the ASIS Annual Seminar and Exhibits, and a number of specific security-related subjects.
Showing posts with label Detectives. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Detectives. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Police, Detectives, DEA and INS Job Description & Career Opportunities
The most important duty of police officers, detectives, DEA and INS agents is to protect lives and property. Police work can be both stressful and dangerous and requires a calm and clear-thinking disposition in the middle of a crisis. Police officials must enjoy working with people and they need to have high integrity and show good judgment.
About 833,600 police and detective jobs were reported in 2008 and nearly 80 percent of those officers worked for local departments. Larger cities have departments with thousands of officers while smaller communities may employ only a few.
A career in law enforcement can be greatly enhanced by a degree in criminal justice. Check out the programs below which offer free information:
Associate in Criminal Justice – Law Enforcement by Rasmussen College
Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Administration by University of Phoenix
MS in Criminal Justice: Law Enforcement by Grand Canyon University
For applicants who meet the strict physical and personal standards, the job outlook for police officers and detectives is favorable and the number of jobs is expected to rise 10 percent by 2018. Growing communities will need to expand their police departments and other positions will become available to replace retiring officers.
Police, Detectives, DEA and INS Job Responsibilities
Police officers handle routine police business such as traffic stops, domestic disputes and theft reports. They also often are the first responders to the scene of a major crime such as homicide or rape.
Police officers on patrol issue citations and spend a large amount of their time writing incident reports. They also can specialize in certain areas such as defusing bombs, laboratory analysis or firearms instruction. They can serve with special units such as Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) teams or the canine unit.
Detectives are plain clothes officers who investigate serious crimes such as homicide in an effort to identify the perpetrator, gather evidence and build a criminal case. They conduct interviews, study records, observe suspects and join in arrests or raids. Some detectives serve on special units investigating a particular kind of crime such as drugs or white-collar fraud.
U.S. DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) and INS (Immigration and Naturalization Service) agents are specialized federal law enforcement officers. DEA agents focus on drug-related crimes while INS agents monitor the nation’s borders and work on deporting illegal immigrants
Police, Detectives, DEA and INS Training and Education Requirements
A high school diploma is required for entry level police jobs, but a college degree or specialized training may be needed for higher level positions. Successful applicants must be physically fit and meet rigorous character standards. Some departments require college courses in criminal justice or law enforcement.
Most police departments require recruits to complete training programs of three months or more after they are hired. Small departments may send their recruits to a state-sponsored police academy while larger departments conduct their own academies. Training covers firearms, traffic, patrolling, first aid, self-defense and emergency response.
Federal agencies such as the DEA, FBI and INS hire only college graduates and sometimes require advanced degrees and several years of related work experience. FBI recruits, for example, must complete 18 weeks of training at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Va.
Police, Detectives, DEA and INS Salary and Wages
The median annual wages of police and sheriff’s officers was $51,410 in 2008. About half of all officers nationwide earned between $38,850 and $51,410 while 10 percent earned about $30,000 or less and another 10 percent earned about $80,000 or more.
Detectives and criminal investigators earned a median annual wage of $60,910 in 2008 and about 10 percent earned more than $97,870.
Police officers and detectives often earn much more than their pay scale because of large amounts of overtime pay.
Federal law enforcement officers are subject to standard government pay scales, which range from $17,540 (GS-1) to $127,604 (GS-15), but they also receive additional law enforcement wages such as law enforcement availability pay earned by criminal investigators.
Police, Detectives, DEA and INS Certifications
The primary certification for police officers comes through graduation from a local department, state or federal police academy after they are hired as recruits.
Some departments require applicants to have completed at least two years of college. Many applicants for police officer positions earn an associate or bachelor’s degree in criminal justice or law enforcement at community or four-year colleges. Certificates in police training often require at least 24 credits with courses in law enforcement, government, communication and problem-solving.
Federal law enforcement positions often require at least a bachelor’s degree and other specialized training.
Police, Detectives, DEA and INS Professional Associations
Most states and larger cities have professional police associations, which are unions that negotiate contracts on behalf of police officers and detectives.
There are many other local, state and national police organizations that often are focused on a specialized area of policing. Examples include the National Association of Chiefs of Police, the National Association of Field Training Officers and the National Drug Enforcement Officers Association.
Founded in 1967, the National Association of Chiefs of Police offers regional training, research, films and educational courses. The association also offers a matching grant for departments that want to form a canine unit and scholarships for disabled officers.
Many of the national and state associations lobby Congress and state legislatures on behalf of law enforcement.
About 833,600 police and detective jobs were reported in 2008 and nearly 80 percent of those officers worked for local departments. Larger cities have departments with thousands of officers while smaller communities may employ only a few.
A career in law enforcement can be greatly enhanced by a degree in criminal justice. Check out the programs below which offer free information:
Associate in Criminal Justice – Law Enforcement by Rasmussen College
Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Administration by University of Phoenix
MS in Criminal Justice: Law Enforcement by Grand Canyon University
For applicants who meet the strict physical and personal standards, the job outlook for police officers and detectives is favorable and the number of jobs is expected to rise 10 percent by 2018. Growing communities will need to expand their police departments and other positions will become available to replace retiring officers.
Police, Detectives, DEA and INS Job Responsibilities
Police officers handle routine police business such as traffic stops, domestic disputes and theft reports. They also often are the first responders to the scene of a major crime such as homicide or rape.
Police officers on patrol issue citations and spend a large amount of their time writing incident reports. They also can specialize in certain areas such as defusing bombs, laboratory analysis or firearms instruction. They can serve with special units such as Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) teams or the canine unit.
Detectives are plain clothes officers who investigate serious crimes such as homicide in an effort to identify the perpetrator, gather evidence and build a criminal case. They conduct interviews, study records, observe suspects and join in arrests or raids. Some detectives serve on special units investigating a particular kind of crime such as drugs or white-collar fraud.
U.S. DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) and INS (Immigration and Naturalization Service) agents are specialized federal law enforcement officers. DEA agents focus on drug-related crimes while INS agents monitor the nation’s borders and work on deporting illegal immigrants
Police, Detectives, DEA and INS Training and Education Requirements
A high school diploma is required for entry level police jobs, but a college degree or specialized training may be needed for higher level positions. Successful applicants must be physically fit and meet rigorous character standards. Some departments require college courses in criminal justice or law enforcement.
Most police departments require recruits to complete training programs of three months or more after they are hired. Small departments may send their recruits to a state-sponsored police academy while larger departments conduct their own academies. Training covers firearms, traffic, patrolling, first aid, self-defense and emergency response.
Federal agencies such as the DEA, FBI and INS hire only college graduates and sometimes require advanced degrees and several years of related work experience. FBI recruits, for example, must complete 18 weeks of training at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Va.
Police, Detectives, DEA and INS Salary and Wages
The median annual wages of police and sheriff’s officers was $51,410 in 2008. About half of all officers nationwide earned between $38,850 and $51,410 while 10 percent earned about $30,000 or less and another 10 percent earned about $80,000 or more.
Detectives and criminal investigators earned a median annual wage of $60,910 in 2008 and about 10 percent earned more than $97,870.
Police officers and detectives often earn much more than their pay scale because of large amounts of overtime pay.
Federal law enforcement officers are subject to standard government pay scales, which range from $17,540 (GS-1) to $127,604 (GS-15), but they also receive additional law enforcement wages such as law enforcement availability pay earned by criminal investigators.
Police, Detectives, DEA and INS Certifications
The primary certification for police officers comes through graduation from a local department, state or federal police academy after they are hired as recruits.
Some departments require applicants to have completed at least two years of college. Many applicants for police officer positions earn an associate or bachelor’s degree in criminal justice or law enforcement at community or four-year colleges. Certificates in police training often require at least 24 credits with courses in law enforcement, government, communication and problem-solving.
Federal law enforcement positions often require at least a bachelor’s degree and other specialized training.
Police, Detectives, DEA and INS Professional Associations
Most states and larger cities have professional police associations, which are unions that negotiate contracts on behalf of police officers and detectives.
There are many other local, state and national police organizations that often are focused on a specialized area of policing. Examples include the National Association of Chiefs of Police, the National Association of Field Training Officers and the National Drug Enforcement Officers Association.
Founded in 1967, the National Association of Chiefs of Police offers regional training, research, films and educational courses. The association also offers a matching grant for departments that want to form a canine unit and scholarships for disabled officers.
Many of the national and state associations lobby Congress and state legislatures on behalf of law enforcement.
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