Private Investigor Course's

[SmoothOperator]

Hello All,

I am currently working in CP and I am thinking of broadening out into a private investigatior role. However although I have an idea what type of work a PI does I have no real knowledge of in depth methology and technical details or law effecting it.

Could anyone recommend a good course to give you a rounded knowledge and to start you off?

I have seen some PI Diploma's advertised but do not know if they are any good. I have also seen a home study course on the Association of PI's website. But I need advice on what to go for?

As far surveillance go's, that is not so much of a problem as I have some prior experience and was planning on attending an ISS course which I heard is highly reguarded.

I am more interested in the in depth technical detail of law, how to trace missing persons, searching database's, methology of different types of fraud, setting up a business, etc.....

Any advice is appricated guys...

[hippy]

I'm afraid most of these courses are similar in intent to cp ones.. ie.. to put money in the pocket of the people running the company... Despite having a Govt investigation background I took a NVQ (level 4) in Investigation to ensure I had a good civvie qual to back up the actual knowledge I posess with a piece of paper..

I would recomend you hold fire for the moment as the SIA will shortly bring on line the PI licence and there is little point in paying good money for a course that then turns out to be not recognised by the SIA

[SmoothOperator]

Thankyou Hippy that is good advice.

I am in no rush at the moment, I am very much in the curiosity and research phase. Best to wait out on the SIA. Do they have a rough timeframe for bringing out the licence? I couldnt find anything on the SIA site.

Which training provider did you do your L4 Investigation with?

Regards

[Rosie]

At a recent ASIS meeting I also heard talk of a UK version of the ASIS PCI (Professionally Certified Investigator) being released in 2008. Will be interesting to see if this meets SIA parameters. Obviously this is a very diverse field, if you meet the parameters the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (CFE) designation may be of interest. Again, back to Hippy's point about waiting to see exactly what the SIA will require ...

[DanD]

If you say your going to be a Private Investigator Consultant, the SIA will prob say you don't need a licence.

[hippy]

Originally Posted by SmoothOperator

Which training provider did you do your L4 Investigation with?

Regards

The academy of private investigation.. I approached them via the Nationwide Investigation Group.. I found NVQ the best route for me as I was already an experienced investigator and in a job which is about 40% investigation (20% CP and 40% management). As you know NVQ's are conducted through your day to day work, rather than sat in a class learning..

I would wait to see who meets SIA critera, the time frame doesn't seem to be available at the moment, but just stand by.. I'm sure something will happen soon..

[isstraining]

Give Alan Marr a call at Jigsaw Services. He runs an introductory course for fledgling PI's. This will help you decide if the industry is for you.

Peter
ISS Training Ltd

[nmc]

If you have prior surveillance experience then a course may not be needed and to be honest the laws concerning it all all are pretty basic.....for now. In terms of setting up a business then all you need to do is tell the Revenue within 3 months and you are sorted.

Best of luck to you.

[hippy]

Originally Posted by nmc

If you have prior surveillance experience then a course may not be needed and to be honest the laws concerning it all all are pretty basic.....for now. In terms of setting up a business then all you need to do is tell the Revenue within 3 months and you are sorted.

Best of luck to you.

NMC, there is much more to being a PI than surveillance... Does smooth know the laws of process serving for example?

[nmc]

Hippy

You are quite correct, there is more to being a Private Investigator than surveillance alone but i am not sure that at this moment in time that a course is the way forward as the SIA have still not decided what they are going to do in regards to PI's.

Maybe joining a body such as the Association of British Investigators would be a better idea as knowledge can be gained through networking and asking questions (for FREE) on their forum where there is a depth of knowledge on the subject - they also have publications available on subjects such as process serving. As far as process serving goes there are, as i am sure you know well, ways of going about it in a legal way but this is hardly rocket science.