OVERVIEW

Private-investigation services have existed since the 1830s, and the origins of this time-honored profession lie in France.[1] The main duty of a private investigator is to gather information for the benefit of his or her clients, and in the performance of this task, PIs are sometimes required to take pictures, record audio, and even gather video footage. What should be noted about this profession though, is that in spite of the fact that PIs engage in investigative activities similar to those performed by state law-enforcement agencies, their work is not in any way endorsed or facilitated by the government.

In Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and other countries, private investigators are classified as offering private security services, along with security technicians, security consultants, property security, personal bodyguards, etc. The security-service industry is a booming sector around the world and Australia’s private-security sector now employs double the personnel that the police force does.[2] For this reason, private investigators in a number of countries are now treated like other professionals who are required to obtain official licenses and to meet certain standards of service, such as lawyers, doctors, and engineers.