Private detectives used to be simply a means for catching cheating spouses or finding missing persons. And while philandering husbands and wives are still the bread and butter of many detective agencies, sophisticated video technology and an increasingly international business world have created a new demand for investigative work.
Insurance companies have hired private investigators to check out suspicious workers’ compensation claims, and employers are installing hidden video cameras at work to catch employees stealing. Business executives who fear foreign governments have tapped their phones are paying private detective to test for bugs.
Some parents are hiring private detectives to conduct background checks on potential nannies or to set up hidden video cameras to watch them care for their children. Men and women who are thinking about getting married are asking investigators to conduct background checks and surveillance on their significant other before they tie the knot. People who suspect neighbors of damaging their property have asked investigators to set up hidden video cameras to catch them in the act.
Since the reasons for hiring a detective are extremely private, it’s not the kind of industry where one asks friends for referrals. But there are a number of steps one can take to find a reputable private detective.
There are about 760 licensed private detectives in Illinois and more than 400 licensed agencies, according to the Illinois Department of Professional Regulations. Ask a trusted lawyer to recommend a private detective, because their work often overlaps. If you don’t know a lawyer to ask, start with the Yellow Pages or other advertisements.
Before hiring a detective, do your own investigative work. Most people hire an investigator during highly emotional times, points out Perry Myers, a private detective who is president of Myers Service Inc. in Chicago. “They don’t have a lot of patience, so their instinct is just to talk to someone and hire them. They have to be careful when they’re hiring and at least do some preliminary checking or verification.”
The most important step is to ask for a detective’s individual and agency license numbers. Private detectives who practice in Illinois are required by law to be licensed by the state’s Department of Professional Regulations. The next step is to call the department to check that the investigators’ and agencies’ licenses are up to date. The department can also say whether the detective has ever been disciplined by the state.
The most common disciplinary problems are investigators working without a license, said Craig Kozlowski, statewide supervisor for general investigations with the Department of Professional Regulations.
“Normally, we find out about unlicensed work when customers have been wronged and then they call us to find out what we can do,” Kozlowski said.
Besides asking about licenses, you might also inquire about whether the investigator belongs to any industry groups such as the Associated Detectives of Illinois or the World Association of Detectives.
“Usually a person or agency that gets involved in an association is in it for the long haul,” said Myers.
To be extremely thorough, one could check with the Better Business Bureau to see if it has received any complaints about a specific agency or research court records to see if the agency has ever been sued.
Before hiring a detective, ask about fees. Private detectives typically charge about $60 an hour, though rates can vary, said Ray Matesevac, who has been a private detective for 25 years and is president of the Associated Detectives of Illinois.
Ask the investigator what the hourly rate includes, Myers recommended. For instance, his agency charges clients for mileage but not for the use of video equipment.
“Some investigators will nickel-and-dime a client,” Myers said. “If you don’t get a sense of professionalism, then you may just want to take a walk out of the office and not plop your money down,” he added.
Ask the detective to give an estimate of the cost for the work you want done. Set a budget with the detective ahead of time, and ask to be alerted if the job looks as if it will cost more.
Most investigations cost at least $600, and some can run a tab in the thousands, Matesevac said.
“Next, understand that the detective works for (you),” said Matesevac. “A lot of people in the industry are very aggressive and have a tendency to want to take over the situation.”
Ask for a written contract that spells out the rates and what the fees include, said Kozlowski of the Department of Professional Regulations.
“Many people who retain a private detective (assume) they’re going to get a written report,” he said. “If it’s not spelled out in black and white, they’ll just get a verbal report.”
The same holds true if a person wants to receive photographs or extra copies of the videotape from an investigation: Make sure it’s in the contract, he stressed.
Just because detective work is shrouded in secrecy doesn’t mean that investigators can break the law. That may seem obvious, but private detectives have frequently turned down customer requests because they were illegal.
For instance, though private detectives can check for electronic devices to see if a person’s phone has been tapped, they are prohibited by law from bugging anyone’s telephone. They obviously can’t kill people, though detectives have been asked.
Matesevac said potential customers have asked him to send out an investigator to try to tempt a spouse suspected of cheating. “That’s entrapment,” he pointed out. “That’s a common question, and we won’t do it.”
Although private detectives can videotape for investigative purposes, state law forbids them from recording sound, noted Lawrence Mayer, president of Wilmette-based Lawrence Investigations Inc. Investigators also can’t provide individual credit reports.
Mayer said detectives also have to be extremely careful about tracking people down in light of stalking laws. Most detectives have a standard policy that they tell potential customers: Once they find the missing person, they will first ask if it’s OK to provide his address to the client who’s looking for him.
“You don’t want to aid a stalker,” Matesevac said.
To check on a private detective’s license, either using the investigator’s full name or license number, call the Department of Professional Regulations at 312-814-4500.
