Private investigator

A private investigator is a professional hired by individuals, businesses, or lawyers to gather information and document facts outside official law enforcement.

Surveillance: The systematic observation of people, places, or activities to gather information. Investigators use surveillance to document conduct relevant to a client’s case.
Evidence: Information or material used to support or challenge a factual claim. An investigation aims to produce information that clients or courts can evaluate.
Private security: Security services provided by nongovernmental individuals or organizations. Private investigation sits within a broader sector of privately provided protective services.
Police: Government agencies and officers responsible for enforcing laws and maintaining public order. Unlike police, private investigators work for clients and lack general law-enforcement powers.
Eugène François Vidocq: A French criminal turned police informant and investigator who founded a private detective agency in Paris in 1833. His agency became an early model for commercial private investigation.
Background check: A review of records and other information to assess a person’s history or identity. Clients hire investigators to verify histories that routine checks may not resolve.
Open-source intelligence: Intelligence gathered from publicly available information and sources. Public records and online material can establish leads without covert access.
Licensing: Government authorization required to perform a regulated occupation or activity. Many jurisdictions require investigators to meet licensing rules before taking cases.
Detective: An investigator, often a police officer, who solves crimes or examines other cases. The title can describe both public officers and private professionals, whose authority differs.
Pinkerton National Detective Agency: An American private detective agency founded by Allan Pinkerton in 1850. Its growth helped establish the investigator as a prominent figure in American public life.

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