'Licensed professionals'

[queensgirl]

I was wondering if anyone has actually been a private detective, known someone who was, or hired one. What's it really like? ;D

I would imagine some of them may be former police officers, lawyers, something like that. They would probably be the most reliable and well-trained. I guess the states (in America) have different standards for licensing them.

These days a lot of them seem to do background checks on prospective employees for companies, especially anything with a sensitive nature. I just got hired by a chemical laboratory company and I had to sign a release for a company to do one of those checks on me. (Except for an alarming number of library fines, I think I'll do okay... )

I'd also think it could be a rather depressing job, what with having to follow around all these horrible people who are cheating or embezzling or whatnot. ;D Also, there's a distinct chance of getting your youknowwhat kicked if you are found waiting to take pictures, hiding in the grass outside of some no-goodnik's home.

While I'm sure that nothing quite as cool happens on the average day of a p.i. as it did for our little agency in California, every time I watch a cop or detective show, I kind of wonder. Thanks.

[diane]

This reminds me of the time that Cindy and I had the opportunity of interviewing Glenn Caron. He commented that, at the time he was beginning Moonlighting, there were several detective shows on TV, and he always found it funny.....as he never seemed to pass a detective agency on the way to work.

It is a fun interview, and you can read it on the site if interested.

Meanwhile, I definitely agree that detective work is not the glamourous occupation that you see on TV and in the movies. Although I have only interacted with private detectives once or twice in my job, I do work with people who work as undercover security agents daily. It is a job like any other......sometimes exciting, sometimes boring, with a large helping of paperwork, and sometimes not a small helping of danger.

Not sure it would be my choice of occupation -- even if my partner were as easy on the eyes as David Addison.

[Cindy]

When I was working in risk management at a local resort, our insurance company had on occasion the necessity to hire a PI to facilitate an accident investigation. This would happen sometimes when we had a situation involving a guest claiming an injury that prevented them from working or reduced their "quality of life".... so a PI would investigate/surveil the person to get facts. One of the detectives that we used regularly was quite a card. I enjoyed hearing his tales very much. He had some wild case stories to tell you....most of them involving long, drawn out tedious surveillance with sometimes hilirious outcomes. From listening to him, I took the job to be tedious, dull, uncomfortable, and especially lonely because he nearly always worked alone.....but with the proper attitude and sense of humor, it could be quite rewarding (and I don't mean that from just a financial standpoint.) He was quite intelligent and well-schooled.... and could tell a really interesting story. The guy sure had a lot of personality.