ARTICLES

The Changing Role of a Private Investigator

Posted 30/Oct/2007, 751 words

Public perceptions and reality have always been light years apart when it comes to the private investigation industry. If the public was to accept the content and recent flood of T.V. shows and crime novels we could be forgiven for believing that investigators are located in the pecking order of human intelligence somewhere between genius and moron.

The truth is, private investigators today are generally drawn upon by the industry from many and varied walks of life, professions, skill sets and qualifications. It's almost impossible to place 40 years of street savvy, cunning and life's experiences into the head of a new recruit, however like any profession there are always those who have the innate ability to make good private investigators. All lawful private investigators today must hold qualifications, basic skill sets and competencies, as well as be clear of criminal conviction.

What is it then that makes a good investigator? Well it certainly isn't a university degree, however having said this, if you find an individual who can see with their ears, hear with their eyes and feel with their stomach as well as having academic qualifications, then you have the perfect individual. These are rare combinations and seldom found within the investigation industry because persons with academic qualifications can generally command much higher incomes in their academic field than working within the investigation industry.

At Lyonswood however we have operatives with academic skill sets in many fields as well as street savvy. An investigator also needs to have a bit of villain within them, to be able to think like a villain and to catch one. This is not to say that an investigator needs to be a criminal but some real hard knocks experiences are definitely an advantage. These experiences might have been gained perhaps in a poor underprivileged child hood or perhaps serving in a profession where these savvy skills are learned such as law enforcement agencies or the trades.

Another quality that is imperative and I believe separates good investigators from the ordinary is the ability to act and to be able to carry off a convincing subterfuge. The one common thread all investigations have is the location of someone or something. With privacy laws ever more constraining, the art of pretext or subterfuge has become the most important one skill set an investigative operative can possess. Some skills can be taught and to a point, the investigator can competently employ them. However there are some that are either genetically acquired or acquired through the background of the individual and no amount of instruction can replace these.

Lyonswood Investigations and Forensic Group chooses its investigators carefully and continually provides instruction to them to keep them abreast of legislative changes and techniques that might be employed to enable them to undertake their work. Lyonswood Investigations and Forensic Group believes that the most important aspects for a consumer to consider when contemplating the choice of an investigator or Investigation Company is the tenure of that company, the genuine commendations it has received from satisfied clients and its standing within the legal, commercial and public sectors. It has been the experience of Lyonswood Investigations and Forensic Group that industry members who work alone generally have little or no quality control. They generally work out of their homes or garages and as such the security of your personal matters is next to none. They are difficult to contact and when they decide to take a holiday they leave their clients stranded.

Lyonswood accepts that every investigator has to start somewhere, however would you entrust your most vital and confidential matter with someone who doesn't have a basic staffed office structure? The checks and measures in place within a medium to large organization ensure that the progress of the investigator and investigation are continually monitored, reports are adequately proof read for compliance with instructions, investigative competency and accuracy and you can always contact staff at our offices irrespective of what the owner operator might be doing. In the unlikely event that you are unhappy with the investigation or the conduct of it, you always know where you can achieve the outcome that you deserve.

Lyonswood has proudly and continuously undertaken investigations now for 26 years from the same company owned premises. A quick search of Google in respect of the company name or the name of the owner/managing director will provide all the positive feedback you will require to give you faith and confidence in our ability to take care of and thoroughly investigate your matter. Lyonswood Investigations and Forensic Group

back to articles »