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What is the role of a Private or
Professional Investigator?
What are the most important attributes of
a Professional Investigator?
What should a Professional Investigator
know prior to initiating an inquiry?
What one thing should a Professional
Investigator focus on?
What criteria should one look for in a
Private Investigator to determine their level of professional
competence?
What can one do to ensure that a
Professional Investigator is working and serving their best
interests?
When is the best time to establish a
professional relationship with a Private Investigator?
What can one expect from Archuleta &
Associates, Inc.?
What is the role of a Private or Professional Investigator?
A private or professional
investigator also known as a private detective is an individual
who undertakes investigations, usually for a private citizen or
other entity not involved with a government or police
organization. They often work for attorneys in civil cases or on
behalf of defense attorneys. Many work for insurance companies
to investigate suspicious and/or fraudulent claims. Before the
advent of no-fault divorce, many private investigators were
hired to search out evidence of adultery or other illmoral
conduct within marriage to establish grounds for a divorce.
However, civil, criminal, insurance fraud, and adultery are no
longer the only aspects of a private investigation practice.
With the growing California economy Private Investigators have
had to expand their field of practice. The recent technological
and industrial boom in California has spawned many other fields
of practice. For instance, Industrial and Corporate Espionage
take place, not for the purpose of national security, but rather
for the purpose of gaining commercial advantage. Corporate
espionage describes the unethical or illegal activities such as
theft of trade secrets, bribery, blackmail, extortion, economic
duress, and technological surveillance to gain competitive
economic advantage.
Finally, a growing issue that
Private Investigators are facing today is that of Risk
Management for their corporate employers. Risk management is the
process of measuring, or assessing risk and developing
strategies to manage it and minimize the potential for damage.
Strategies include transferring the risk to another party,
avoiding the risk, reducing the negative effect of the risk, and
accepting some or all of the consequences of a particular risk.
Traditional risk management focuses on risks stemming from
physical or legal causes (e.g. natural disasters or fires,
accidents, death, and lawsuits, and abovementioned issues of
industrial and corporate espionage). Financial risk management,
on the other hand, focuses on risks that can be managed using
traded financial instruments.
Archuleta & Associates, Inc. is
committed to providing the aforementioned services to our
clients in a confidential, professional, and expedient manner.
What are the most important attributes of a Professional
Investigator?
The Professional Investigator has to possess the qualities that
anyone would look for in their best friend. A client has to
trust and rely on the investigator. The client is entrusting the
Investigator with their most valuable possession. The client is
entrusting the Investigator with their future. The client is
relying on the Investigators competence and performance to
exceed their needs. The Investigator must be capable and
demonstrate moral and intellectual character. They must be agile
in their footing and careful to avoid any pitfalls. The
Investigator must have the desire to do the job correctly and do
it under the most trying of circumstances.
What should a Professional Investigator know prior to initiating
an inquiry?
The effective Investigator must know and understand the law and
the application of the law in any inquiry. These are the rules
that govern the outcome of a specific situation. They define the
issues that an Investigator must focus his attention and
energies on. In a criminal matter it is the Criminal Statute and
the determination of the facts that may control the outcome. In
a civil matter it is Case Law and the determination of the facts
that generally dictate the outcome. In a Worker’s Compensation
matter it is the Statutes and the determination of the facts
that generally dictate the outcome.
What one thing should a Professional Investigator focus on?
The Professional Investigator must focus on the basics of any
inquiry. The raw facts of the situation will be determined if
the investigation follows a well planned, scripted, methodical
and effective protocol. The development and refinement of an
effective protocol is an evolutionary process. The Investigator
is an experienced and effective professional. They possess the
desire and the ability to develop and refine their skills and
technique. The Professional Investigator is methodical in their
action. This one quality will drive a Professional to evaluate
their performance and work for improvement. They want to be the
best. They want to do their best. The person who wants to be
proficient in their chosen field is much far ahead of their
colleagues.
What criteria should one look for in a Private Investigator to
determine their level of professional competence?
Any first impression of an individual is a good gage. Does the
presence of a particular individual make you feel comfortable or
uneasy? Has your feelings changed from your first meeting and
each subsequent meeting thereafter? Did the Investigator answer
all your questions and address all your concerns? Is the
individual neat in their appearance, their mannerisms, and in
their organizational ability? Do you perceive confidence in them
and their ability? Are their answers logical to your particular
situation? Is the investigator open in meeting with you in order
to develop a check list of issues that they would address during
the inquiry? Did they explore every issue to your satisfaction
and ensure that all issues had been fully explored?
The Professional Investigator is in an established business. Is
the Professional Investigator professionally licensed? Are they
a member of a professional organization such as CALI -
California Association of Licensed Investigators, The Better
Business Bureau and their local Chamber of Commerce? Are they a
member of any specialized investigative organizations? This is
probably a good indication of both their level and length of
professionalism within the industry.
What can one do to ensure that a Professional Investigator is
working and serving their best interests?
Feel free to ask for a status report. If your investigator is
working through your attorney the attorney client privilege must
be maintained. Are the involved professionals attaining the
goals that you have established? Are all inquires addressed in a
professional and timely manner? Do you feel comfortable when
talking with the Investigator? The activities of a Private
Investigator should only be directed at the obtainment and
securing of useful pertinent information. This is the
Investigators role and this is what you should expect from them.
Any professional must serve a useful purpose. Only the client,
the one financially responsible can answer if this is being
fulfilled.
When is the best time to establish a professional relationship
with a Private Investigator?
The best time to establish any professional relationship with an
individual for services is prior to the need of that service
provider. If you choose to wait until you desperately need any
professional you will find yourself facing both time and
financial constraints. An individual may not be in the best
frame of mind to evaluate such things as attributes, virtue,
etc. which are key in any professional relationship.
What can one expect from Archuleta & Associates, Inc.?
You will receive our experience, our effectiveness, our
dedication and our commitment to you the client. There is one
particular corporate client that always comes to mind. He is a
dynamic self made man who built his company in spite of all
odds. A meeting of top management had convened to discuss a
certain pressing situation. The conference room was large and
impressive. There were 16 men of power sitting quietly around
the polished table. Each had a pile of documents and a well used
legal pad with many pages that had been turned over to expose a
new page. The CEO who was a very large and impressive person
told the investigator to sit and join. The CEO went on to
explain very graphically the situation and what he hoped to
accomplish with this inquiry. The CEO used charts, graphs, and
colorful language to explain the situation. He also explained
the impact this could have within the industry in various
countries on several continents. The CEO questioned the
investigator of his understanding of the instructions and his
intent. The CEO asked the investigator to repeat the text of
this inquiry. The investigator looked around the table at each
person and then looked confidently at the CEO. The investigator
in a strong and confident voice said, “There are times when you
want a person to do their best and there are times when you just
want the job done. I believe this is one of those times when you
just want the job done”. The CEO rose from his chair and stood
firmly over the table. The CEO looked squarely into the face of
the investigator and then looked into the face of each person
positioned around the conference table. No one spoke for what
seemed to be an eternity. The CEO shouted, “That is exactly what
I said”. The company ultimately prevailed in their federal civil
suit. Today they enjoy a commanding place within their industry.
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