Q&A. Questions asked by the community. Part One

Question: I was a police officer for 6yrs and am now looking to get into PI work but I learned you have to be hired before you can get a license. Do you know anyone that may be hiring?

Answer: While mostly true, you don’t have to get hired by a PI agency to get a license. What does that mean? Start your own agency. You can get a agency license and PI license at the same time in Wisconsin. I recommend the following links: https://www.pawli.com/becoming-a-pi, http://dsps.wi.gov/Licenses-Permits/PrivateSecurityAgency, and http://dsps.wi.gov/Licenses-Permits/PrivateDetective

As far as people hiring, it’s a tough profession to break into. Don’t lose hope, some larger agencies are hiring. Check indeed.com and http://www.getprivateinvestigatorjobs.com/ daily so you don’t miss an opportunity.

Question: How about detailing the most common reasons people hire a P.I.?

Answer: This is hard to answer directly as Private Investigators (In Wisconsin or nationwide) tend to specialize in certain areas. I can tell you the most work I receive is process serving, criminal defense, surveillance, and background checks.

Question: How to tell if your spouse is cheating?

Answer: Good question. I have some good indicators in my Infidelity Investigation page.

Question: How to choose the right private investigator in Wisconsin?

Answer: First, make sure they are licensed and insured. It’s a requirement in Wisconsin. After that, it comes down to personality and experience. Ask around. Attorneys, paralegals, insurance adjusters, etc hire Private Investigators every day. See which ones they like. Also, make sure you know upfront the costs and what exactly they will be doing for you. A good PI will never invoice you for hidden charges. It should all be defined in the retainer / contract you will be signing.

Finally, don’t judge a book by it’s cover. There are plenty of good PI’s who are former cops. There are also plenty of bad ones.

Question: Five things a private investigator cannot do or get?

Answer: There is probably more than five, but here goes.

1) Bank account information. While we can determine the location of such accounts, we cannot get the information within without a court order or subpoena.
2) One click national criminal background check. We aren’t the FBI. We use many resources to attain a legal, and thorough background check. Unfortunately, it isn’t a one button click operation.
3) Make a legal arrest. We have the same arrest powers the general public has.
4) Impersonate Law Enforcement
5) Wiretap a phone without consent.

Round two coming up next week. Post questions on my facebook page. If you like the content here, please like my page.

Have a good weekend everyone!