Private Investigation: Perception Vs. Reality

When it comes to the world of private investigation, individuals not involved in the industry have more than likely gathered their knowledge via popular television programs and Hollywood movies.

But trust us when we say that the daily routine of a professional private investigator is nothing like what the entertainment industry portrays it to be.

Sure, there are rushes of adrenaline from time to time and every day is certainly different than the day before. “Most days are long and uneventful”, says Edward Lewis, lead investigator for ACES Private Investigations of Houston TX.

But to say that private investigators experience nonstop action and glamorous daily lives is pretty far from the actual truth.

That’s not to say it’s not a rewarding professional because it very much is. But if you think your private investigator is going to be engaging in nonstop car chases and staring down the barrel of a gun several times a day, well that’s just not going to happen.

Much like in the military, private investigators spend a good deal of their day in “hurry up and wait” mode. Especially when it involves surveillance, there’s an awful lot of time spent sitting in a car or sipping coffee in a cafe just waiting for something to happen.

That’s part of the job and an extremely important one at that. There may be a lot of time waiting around, but the client is expecting results. The last thing you want is to miss something because you’re not ready to gather the needed evidence when the opportunity presents itself.

Investigators need to remain alert at all times, even when it’s anything but the easiest thing in the world to do. There are a lot of cups of coffee consumed and an even greater amount of time sitting and staring at a door or window, or gathering evidence in a way that could be considered boring by a lot of people.

But if you want results, you have to be willing to pay the price to get them. And any reputable private investigator certainly will be willing and able to do just that, or he’s not going to be on the job for very long.

So whether it’s sitting in the office, following someone on foot or sitting in a car outside a home or office building, and waiting for the subject to appear, the life of a private investigator certainly isn’t the nonstop action you see on television and in the movies.

But if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right. Seasoned private investigators are used to doing this kind of work and they expect to be spending a good deal of time waiting around to gather needed evidence on behalf of their clients. From stalking to surveillance, PIs are usually busy taking photos or video on a day to day basis.

Can it be tedious at times? Without a doubt. But that doesn’t make it any less worthy of doing.

So the next time you have the need to hire a private investigator, just take a moment to realize what exactly it is they’ll be doing on your behalf.

It’s not an easy job by any means. But as they say – if it was easy, everyone would be doing it.

Mike

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