The first Private Investigator
Did you know that the man attributed as the first Private Investigator was a convicted felon who worked undercover as an informant at La Force Prison in France?
Detective work has long been associated with the dark undercover activities of informants and turncoats. The first known private investigator, who is also considered the father of criminology and the first detective, Eugene-Francois Vidocq ( 1775-1857) was a convicted felon. Vidocq operated undercover as an informant inside ‘La Force Prison’ until he ‘escaped’ and remained hidden amongst the criminal fraternity as a fugitive. Throughout his incarceration and for several years after, Vidocq informed on his partners in crime until, 1811 when he was invited to establish the first plain clothed detective unit as part of the French police in recognition of the value of his work.
The shady past is never far away from the secretive work of a Private Investigator (PI’s) but the modern day PI requires much more than a good disguise and connections.
The modern day Private Investigator
Today, private investigators assist individuals locate missing relatives, gather evidence in family court proceedings, solve harassment complaints and locate debtors. Whilst some of this work is done knocking on doors and talking to people, an increasing amount is done through the intelligent use of computers and through OSINT ( Open Source Intelligence).
However, private investigators do not only help private individuals answer those delicate questions such as who is sleeping with their wife! Here are some of the things a Private Investigator can help with:
• legal defense,
• unfair dismissal claim,
• collating evidence of professional negligence,
• check out alleged fraud using surveillance and undercover techniques
• use OSINT to locate missing people
• investigate workplace misconduct
• respond to safeguarding risks and assess abuse of the elderly and disabled
• conduct investigations into child abuse, historical and current
• conduct due diligence
• investigate intellectual property theft
• fraud, corruption
• international bribery
The reality is that the modern day private investigator needs a wide range of skills and expertise.
With such a wide range of skills required most investigators specialise in a few areas and become experts. Similarly, investigation firms tend to focus on delivering excellence in their specialised areas.
How to find the right Private Investigator
Of course, you are not alone when working through the task of engaging an investigator. This can be a tricky process, particularly when coming to it with limited experience of the industry. MyKludo excels at finding the right professional to address your needs. With an extensive network of fully vetted investigation professionals MyKludo will listen to your situation and recommend the best providers for the case. We streamline the briefing process and ensure that you get to select only from the very best in the industry.