Private Investigators compared to Police Detectives

We are often asked by the public and students new to the private investigations industry, what are the differences or similarities of private investigative work as compared to police detectives. So we thought it would be helpful to compare and contrast both roles.
Similarities

• Police detectives and private investigators use similar methods and techniques for conducting an investigation. Interview techniques, gathering evidence, and even processing evidence if required. Tried and true techniques for getting and gathering information are used by both.
  
• Writing reports about the information they learn from the investigation is another similarity of both professions. Information collected and gathered must be documented by either investigator. The reports provide a written record of the facts they have gathered, and a written record, “chain-of-custody”, of evidence, interviews, and test results which may be presented in court or as a part of legal documentation. Some states, such as Georgia, require that private investigators write a report about their investigation.
  

Differences

• The obvious difference between the two is that police detectives work for the public while private investigators work for a specific person or company. Private investigators are contracted to investigate activities on behalf of a private person or company, often activities which the police are not able to fully investigate, or lack the authority to investigate. Police detectives work for the public at large to identify suspects that pose a threat to the community.  
  
• Crimes
  
  • Police detectives investigate potential violations of criminal law. They often do not have the time, resources, or authority to investigate cases that are non-criminal in nature. Their authority as law enforcement allows them to apply for search and arrest warrants based on the results of their investigations.
    
  • Private investigators may investigate potential criminal violations, but they also conduct investigations that are not criminal in nature. Investigations of missing persons, which is not a violation of criminal law, is one example. Consider that police detectives work for the benefit of the public at large and do not work specifically on behalf of an individual. Therefore, they often must prioritize their investigations based on the largest threat to the community. Private investigators, often working for company’s investigate violations of policy such as sexual harassment, or behaviors that may indicate lack of work ethic. When they investigate criminal activity, it is often where the local police do not have the resources in time or personnel to adequately complete an investigation.
    
• Specialization
  
  • Most police detectives are trained to conduct criminal investigations. They are experts in violent crimes, sexual assaults, and other criminal activities commonly encountered in the communities where they work, but most often in smaller departments they are general practitioners.
    
  • Private investigators are also experienced in a variety of cases, they may be called upon to investigate, but some are specialists. Some specialize in computer intrusions, conducting surveillance, missing persons, or administrative type investigations for company’s. The variety of cases that private investigators are skilled and trained to investigate is much larger in general than the local police detectives as they often work with criminal, civil, and administrative type of investigations.  
    

Although both use the same techniques and methods for conducting an investigation, there are significant differences. If you are a victim of a crime you may work with the local police detectives. If you have the need for assistance with a civil matter, administrative type of investigation or when the police do not have the needed resources, then you will call upon a private investigator. Infidelity, internal company investigations, or even crimes where the local police are unable to dedicate resources, are examples of when hiring a private detective is the right choice.