private investigator

someone who can be employed as a detective to collect information

A private investigator, or PI, is a person who undertakesinvestigations. They often work for lawyerattorneys in civil cases or onbehalf of a defense attorney. Many work for insurance companies toresolve claims. Before the advent of no-fault divorce, many privateinvestigators were hired to search out evidence of adultery or otherillegal conduct within marriage to establish grounds for a divorce.Despite the lack of legal necessity for such evidence any more,according to press reports collecting evidence of adultery or other"bad behaviour" by spouses and partners is still one of the mostprofitable activities investigators undertake.Many jurisdictions require PIs to be licensed, and they may or may notcarry firearms depending on local laws. Some are ex-police officers.They are expected to keep detailed notes and to be preparedto testify in court regarding any of their observations on behalf oftheir clients. Taking great care to remain within the law (e.g., beingforbidden to trespass on private property or break into homes) is alsorequired, on pain of losing their licences as well as facing criminalcharges. Irregular hours may also be required when performingsurveillance work (e.g., outside someone's house during the early hoursof the morning).

PIs in Fiction - Perhaps the most famous fictional PI is the Sherlock Holmes character created by Arthur Conan Doyle, who would refer to himself in the jargon of his age as a "private inquiries agent." (See Crime fiction for details.)Since about the 1940's, PIs have also been frequently found in fiction as a stock character; they are a hero archetype who stumbles into detective stories to solve a mystery case, whether it be a whodunit murder or other crime activity. The PI is usually cool, relaxed and intelligent. A stereotypical look would have him drink whiskey, tobacco smokingsmoke, dress in a raincoat and Fedora (hat)fedora and be a good marksman.PI's are also popular in television fiction, including such hit series as Magnum P.I., The Rockford Files, and Spenser: For Hire; both TV and movie PI fiction often utilize the device of the main character first-person voiceover to make up for the fact that visual fiction is rarely ever shot in the true first-person, as well as to provide exposition about the detective's thoughts.

See also -

detective

security guard

skiptrace

stock character

criminology

External links -

hypoware.com - Sleuth Semi-realistic detective Role-playing gameRPG game

!my-private-investigator.com - Private investigation web site survey

schmeg.com - Private Investigator Surveillance TechniquesCategory:Protective service occupationsCategory:Stock characters !de:Detektivnl:Privédetectivez h:私家侦 506;

Private Investigator
UK Investigator, Leicestershire, England
http://www.investigate4u.net/

Watford Detectives
Surveillance & Private Investigation services with National and International agents
http://www.securityun-limited.co.uk

the Private Eye List Direstory
A searchable directory of Private Investigators and Process Servers.
http://www.privateeyelist.com/

New England Surveillance Specialists
We are New Englandslargest full service investigative agency specializing in surveillance.
http://www.nesurveillance.com/

L.M. Paul P.I.
Kingston Ontario private investigator, providing investigation services in Ontario.
http://www.lmpaul.com/

Peter Heims Private Investigator
Peter Heims has over 40 years experience as a private investigator. He specialises in tracing, and is a certificated bailiff. An accomplished speaker on the life of the private investigator.
http://www.peterheims.com/

John Cook & Associates
Private Investigation
http://www.johncookpi.com/

Pimall.com
Directory of private investigators with resources for this profession.
http://www.pimall.com

Vortex IA
Offers bodyguard services with an organized tactical unit for executive, witness, and celebrity protection.
http://www.via-investigators.com/

U.S. Dept. of Labor -- Bureau of Labor Statistics
Official website of Bureau, with news, current data, articles, links and other information about employment, wages, working and the economy
http://www.bls.gov/

Kale Investigation Agency
Licensed and bonded agency specializing in lost loves, background checks, criminal and marital cases.
http://www.kaleinvestigation.com/