Meriah Crawford is a private investigator who lives and works in Central Virginia. Her company is called Rhino Investigations. In her other life, she’s currently studying in the Stonecoast MFA program, which is part of the University of Southern Maine, and working on two novels and several short stories.   Direct correspondence to Meriah Crawford or Editor.

             These are common questions that I get asked when people find out I’m a PI. I certainly didn’t come to the profession in one of the usual ways, but I’ve gotten to know a lot of PIs through my work and various groups I belong to. As for who, not surprisingly, many PIs are former law enforcement officers (LEOs), whether local, state, or federal. In Northern Virginia, in particular, there are a great many PIs who are former government agents of some kind. There is also a growing number of people who get into the business through the technical side. Some people specialize in collecting evidence from computers, which is called computer forensics. That’s a huge topic all its own. And others focus on doing Internet searches. Much of the data out there is freely available to the public, but just knowing where to look for the information is half the battle. There are also a number of databases that require professional credentials in order to access them.

             Still others become PIs because they grew up watching Magnum PI or Rockford, or maybe Simon and Simon. Here in Virginia, a significant number of people are registered as PIs without actually working in the field. The coolness factor figures in there, I suppose. And some have unrealistic expectations that work will come chasing after them as soon as they get registered or licensed, but that’s rarely the reality.

             The bottom line, though, is that you really don’t need law enforcement experience to be a PI – even a great PI. What you need are intelligence, perseverance, and good problem-solving skills. Good ethics are key, too. Some people will tell you that retired LEOs have a leg up because of all their experience, but that’s not always the case. Much of PI work is really quite different from being an officer or agent, and some people have a hard time coping with the loss of resources and authority that comes with giving up a badge or other credentials. That said, however, I’ve worked with extremely intelligent and capable PIs with a law enforcement background, and their wealth of experience and knowledge can be enormously helpful. For a writer, this can also be a real challenge. Practically speaking, most people shouldn’t try to write a main character that has a law enforcement background unless they have it themselves.

We don’t need no stinkin’ badges.             The issue of badges is an important one, so I’m going to say a word about it now. First, in short, I believe that PIs should never carry badges, unless they’re officially distributed by the PI’s regulatory body. (I’m not aware of any that do; I just like to cover my bases. I don’t know details of every state’s regulations and laws.) The bottom line on this issue is that PIs have no authority. No one is obligated to speak with you or provide you with any information whatsoever. PIs who use badges (and anyone can buy one on the internet) in my experience, are trying to trick people into believing they do have authority. This is tempting, and yeah, those shiny metal badges do look cool, but it’s also unethical. Among other things, people will mistake you for a police officer, and impersonating a police officer is a serious crime in every state. Unless your character is seedy and disreputable or young and enthusiastic but with poor judgement, leave the badges to the ones who really earn them.

Becoming a PI

             The how of becoming a PI is a great deal more complicated. That’s because every single state has its own set of laws and regulations (except for the six states that don’t regulate PIs at all), and they’re all quite different. Worse, the laws and regs are often written in such a way that figuring out what the heck they mean can be a real challenge, and often the language is vague enough that you’ll need to find someone local who can explain what it really means. This shouldn’t be all that difficult, fortunately. In my experience, PIs are a helpful and friendly bunch, and most states will have at least one PI professional association that you should be able to go to for help. To find them, you can just do an Internet search on “PI” and “Association,” along with your state’s name, and that should do it. A simpler method, if your state is listed, is to look in the PI Associations Directory. This site includes links to the bodies that regulate PIs in each state.

             Please also consider attending PI conferences. Many states have their own, and there are regional, national, and even worldwide PI conferences. Virginia just had one in early March, which is an annual event. There’s also one coming up in the Carolinas, and the World Investigators Conference will be held in Las Vegas in September. Remember that these conferences are generally open to the public, they’re tax-deductible if you’re attending for research purposes (with some restrictions, so check with an accountant), and they can be both a great learning opportunity and a real blast.

Training

             Some states have required training; others have exams; and in others you just need to plunk down your money. Virginia requires a 60-hour training class, plus eight hours of “in-service” training every two years. To my amazement, I recently learned that some PIs in other states are vigorously fighting (and even outraged by) attempts by the state to require some sort of in-service training. I think it’s very important, though, to get PIs in a classroom every year or so, if only to give them an update to changes in the laws and regs. In Virginia, at least, there are significant changes on a regular basis. PIs are required to know and obey them, but the reality is that if it weren’t for in-service training, most PIs wouldn’t pay any attention at all.

             Attending PI training is a fantastic way to learn the ropes as a writer. I learned about it myself from a novelist named Donna Andrews. (Here’s a story she wrote about her experiences in PI school.) Sixty hours might sound like a lot of training, but truthfully it’s not. You could easily spend two years in a PI training program and still come out with a lot to learn. But it is a great start, and hopefully it will give you the basics you need to go out and get to work – or to write about it. Best of all, in Virginia at least, nearly anyone can take the training.

             There are guidelines in the regulations for Virginia about what the training should consist of, but the subject areas are quite general and they leave a lot of room for variation. It probably goes without saying that some schools offer fantastic training (like the one I attended and now teach at, Central Training Academy) and others don’t. Be sure to ask around to find a reputable school! Training also includes some practical exercises, which can be both a great learning opportunity and a lot of fun.

Apprenticeships

             Some states will require new PIs to apprentice with experienced PIs, or to spend a certain number of years working for a licensed PI business, before starting their own businesses. In some states, a certain number of years of law enforcement experience will earn you a full or partial exemption. This has a certain logic to it, though it does make it much harder to start a business. An apprenticeship can be a fantastic way to learn, however. California, by the way, is one of the states that require a certain number of hours of working for a PI business before starting up your own.

Unregulated PIs

             The six states that don’t regulate PIs at all are Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Mississippi, South Dakota, and Wyoming. (Note that some cities in these states may have PI licensing requirements.) Missouri has licensing in several large cities and is expecting to add state-wide regulation soon. A lack of regulation might seem like a great thing at first, but I can tell you that it has its own set of issues. For one thing, it’s harder to set up a business and get clients if you don’t have a law enforcement background, or any official credentials. Because there’s no state-approved training or other requirements, gaining the knowledge and experience you need in order to be effective can be difficult. And, generally speaking, because there are no requirements, no standard background check, and no way of revoking a license if the holder breaks the law or is generally incompetent, there’s a lot more room for serious problems to occur. I have nothing more than anecdotal evidence, but a colleague who works in several states told me she finds it much more difficult to find competent PIs in states with no regulation.

             As a writer, of course, this is a huge opportunity. If your PI will work in an unlicensed state, he or she may still want to look into and acquire some sort of training and/or certification. There are a number of opportunities available, including a bachelor’s (or master’s) degree in criminal justice. An apprenticeship can also be a great way to learn.

Beyond the basics

             Working as a PI can be more complicated than just getting a PI license or registration. (Different states use different terminology – it’s worth the effort to figure out what’s right for your area.) In Virginia, you also have to work through a licensed private security services business. In order to get a business license, you need to fill out another application, pay a large fee, get insurance (which also involves a large fee), and you need to have a compliance agent. Not to get too technical, this is just someone (in many cases, the individual who is also the PI and the business owner) who takes some training, passes a test, and promises to make sure the employees of the company follow the laws and regulations. In my case, this is me. There is one catch here. In order to be a compliance agent, the rules say you need to have some sort of law enforcement or security background. In practice, anyone who’s managed a group of people, for example, can get permission to be a compliance agent. And the reality is that it’s purely an administrative function.

             Does this sound complicated? It can be. Add in weapons qualifications, fingerprint cards, state and/or local business licenses and more, and it can be a lot to manage. The good news is that every single item that goes on a PI’s list of “things that have to be dealt with” can be used in fiction, in one way or another. After all, we’re dealing with government agencies. Things are bound to go wrong!

Questions?

             If you have specific questions or if there are areas you’d like me to be sure to cover in future columns, please drop me an e-mail and ask! I can be reached at Meriah@rhinoi.com.

Copyright 2005 by Meriah Lysistrata Crawford