President Lincoln hired Private Detective Allan Pinkerton (above left) during the Civil War as head of Union Intelligence Services. The detective was a great choice since he also foiled an early on assassination attempt. What criteria did the President use to make Mr. Pinkerton his choice?
I have owned and managed a Michigan and Wisconsin based private detective service for over 30 years, and I am still surprised at how little due diligence is conducted by our clients. Few first-time or established clients take steps to vet myself as the business owner/manager/chief investigator or to qualify members of our in-house and field staff.
If you are a lawyer or a business owner, I am sure that you or someone you designate takes time to check out the background of new employees. Shouldn’t you do the same with contractors? If you want a sensitive matter discreetly handled, how do you qualify the investigator you assign to the project? If you are an insurance adjuster and want to order surveillance or if you suspect financial fraud on a claim, what steps do you take to assure that the detective’s experience and credentials are authentic? If you are a criminal defense counsel, what do you know about the detective’s interviewing skills and his/her understanding of the relevant law and the elements of the crime with which your client has been charged?
You really don’t know what you are getting unless you take most if not all of the following steps to satisfy yourself of a good fit:
1. First, go to http://www.researchnorth.com/selecting-an-investigative-service/, review its content and follow the suggestions.
2. Insist upon proof of insurance (liability, auto and comp.), and request that you be named as a certificate holder. It doesn’t cost the detective anything to provide this documentation, but it positively confirms coverage. Further, in the event that a policy is canceled, you would receive direct notification from the agent. Less than 5% of our clients make this basic request.
3. Conduct an internet/social/business media inquiry on the agency and its principals. The rule of thumb should be that more professional and less behavioral findings are better. Also, checkout the detective’s website. Unfortunately, some make claims that are unrealistic, and some contain factual misrepresentations.
4. Performing a Dun & Bradstreet inquiry on a small, closely held business is not very effective, but checking for bankruptcy, civil and criminal litigation at the federal level (www.pacer.gov) and at the county of residence level can be revealing. Unfortunately, some licensed detectives have been convicted of criminal violations and licensing authorities have been slow to react. Some have been sued for civil infractions that may have relevance to their suitability to work on your assignment. Have any complaints been filed with the state’s licensing agency against him/her? You would not know about any of these issues unless you independently check.
5. Finally, since people’s circumstances change, what do you do on a continuing basis as relates to retention? Wouldn’t you want to know if your detective was currently having financial problems or if he/she was being sued for some action relating to a professional activity?
The foregoing may seem daunting and time-consuming, but this common sense approach really does not take much effort. Before committing to a business relationship with any contractor, especially a private detective, ask the tough questions and do your homework. Insist upon background, personal and professional references and documentation relating to the foregoing as a starting point. If there is any hesitation/misrepresentation, search for a better candidate.
Research North, Inc. (RNI), is a professional private detective service providing support to the business community, the insurance industry and individuals in Michigan and Wisconsin since 1981. The company also offers pre-employment background checks to small and medium sized businesses through a subsidiary called Backgroundcheckswork.com that is fully staffed by professional investigators who are retired from law enforcement.
Delivering Information That Works For You
INSURED • QUALIFIED • THOROUGH • RELIABLE • CONFIDENTIAL • FAST