FAQ

Private Investigator or Detective Agency

Two Important Questions to consider when hiring a Private Investigation Agency

Why Choose TRVST?

There are thousands of "so called" investigators available for hire.  Some are licensed, insured, professional discreet, meticulous, trustworthy and ethical unfortunately many are not.  Utilizing only the best professionals insures you the client get the best results...

Why not just do the Investigation myself?

Even when you are clever and resourceful, attempts at amateur investigations nearly always end in disaster.  When lacking the necessary training and essential equipment, positive results will be very difficult to achieve.  In the long run, performing your own investigation may prove to be a costly mistake.

The following are some tips to aid you in evaluating which private investigator to work with. 

Make sure they have a license! The vast majority of states require that anyone engaging in the practice of investigations be licensed. A Private investigator should be able to produce a copy of such a license immediately for you. Note: there are many companies offering services on the Internet, which do not qualify as “investigations” but really should be. These companies are completely unregulated and what they give you is whatever they want. Most of these companies are “information brokers” who have access to databases of public records, like telephone numbers, address directories, voter registration filings, etc. These companies offer “background checks” that are nothing more than database searches of old public records. That may be enough to get you what you need, but if you need to be sure that the information is accurate, contact a licensed private investigator. Please be sure that you understand who and what you are dealing with and what they are going to give you, before you hire anyone working in this sector. If you have any questions, contact TRVST Investigations. 

Do you need to meet with the P.I.? No, not unless you want to. Much of what we do can be done quickly and with a minimal amount of inconvenience and the formality of a meeting is usually not necessary. If you have any questions, contact a TRVST Investigations representative. 

Experienced? Some private investigators have little or no investigative background. There are those who have retired from a law enforcement or military career and decide that being a “private investigator” would be action packed and exciting. They enroll in some Private Detective school and after two months, they become a P.I. Does that mean that they are qualified to investigate your case? Not necessarily! It is important that you know the qualifications and experience of the investigator that will be working on your case. In our opinion, the more experienced the investigator, the greater the likelihood that your desired results will be achieved. It is also our opinion that you need someone who does this type of surveillance regularly. They do not need to be former FBI agents, or secret service. They should be experienced surveillance experts. If you have any questions, contact a TRVST Investigations representative. 

Are they insured? Keep in mind that the private investigator that you hire is working for you, as your agent. If he or she is working on your case and they damage someone’s property, get in a car accident, present false information, etc., etc., etc., they should have ample insurance to cover any loses that arise. If they don’t, you, the one who hired them, are exposed. It is just good common sense to check for insurance coverage before you hire a PI. It should be no problem for a reputable investigator to present a certificate of insurance coverage for you to review and verify. If you have any questions, contact a TRVST Investigations representative.

Is there a difference between a Private Investigator and a Private Detective?

In Florida, the statute governing private investigators is chapter 493. Like in Florida, many states, allow the words ‘private investigator’ and ‘private detective’ to be interchangeable, but in some states there actually is a difference in their accepted meaning. For example, in New Jersey those who want to become a private investigator must adhere to the licensing laws as detailed in the Private Detective Act of 1939. The person who has the prerequisite investigative experience is called the ‘qualifier’ and when the New Jersey State Police Private Detective Unit issues the license, the qualifier is actually classified as a Licensed Private Detective. The owner of a licensed detective agency may hire employees, who when properly registered with the state licensing authority, the investigative employees are classified as a Private Investigator.

Historically, the profession of non-law enforcement investigations started back with Pinkerton in the late 1800’s. At that time the term “private detective” was the formal name and the outfit they worked for was called a “detective agency.” There were many movies and books that began using the “private-eye” moniker more and more. It was television starting in the 1974 with James Garner in the Rockford Files that really brought the investigative profession into the limelight. The show also had a major influence on most people using the private investigator title. The P.I. title became famous with the Magnum, P.I. television show featuring Tom Selleck.

Starting around 1960, many states did not want the public to confuse a private detective with that of a police detective. There has been a trend amongst many state licensing authorities and state investigative associations to use the title ‘private investigator’ as compared to ‘private detective’. In fact, many have actually taken legal steps to stop using the “detective” title.

What types of cases do Private Investigators work on?

Private investigators perform an extremely wide range of investigative services. While many people automatically think that a PI only goes around cheating spouses, matrimonial infidelity investigations represent a very small segment of what private investigators actually do.

On a daily basis we handle the following: Surveillance, Cheating Spouse investigations, computer forensics investigations, car accident investigation, motorcycle accident investigation, workers’ compensation accident investigations, search engine optimization investigations, slip and fall investigations, trip and fall investigations, accident reconstruction, trial presentations, litigation and pre-litigation support for both plaintiff and defense work. These are just a few of the types of private investigations we handle on a daily basis.

The following is a brief list of the many categories that PI’s specialize in or areas they may conduct investigations:

Do Private Investigators have access to government records?

Having a private investigator’s license does allow you access to several proprietary databases that are not available to the general public. These include data aggregators such as:

www.IRBsearch.com

www.TracersInfo.com

www.Merlindata.com

www.LocatePlus.com

www.ChoicePoint.com

www.Intelius.com

What type of equipment do Private Investigators use?

A successful private investigator will own several investigative tools. These tools are based on the type of work or cases you will be working on. Probably the most important investigative tool is a surveillance friendly vehicle. The most common is a mini-van, however, the best vehicle is one that blends best for the area you are working in. You also need to own a digital video camcorder, a covert body worn video camera, a miniature digital video recorder, and a covert digital audio recorder. We have found that the best source for hidden cameras, spy gadgets and specialty private investigative equipment.

Here is a list of the most commonly used tools and equipment used by private investigators:

Binoculars
Digital Audio Recording Devices
Digital Camcorders
Extension Lens
Digital Still Cameras
Hidden video cameras
Body worn Cameras
Digital Video Recorders
Covert Vehicle tracking equipment
Personal Protection devices
Diversion Safes
Night vision cameras
GPS tracking devices
Pocket DVR’s
Detection Devices
TSCM Equipment (Debugging)
Spy Glasses
Phone Security
Security Video Systems
Button Camera

Florida private investigator / detective disclaimer:

The information contained on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this or any of our associated pages, documents, blog, e-mails, or written communication should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation.