Diploma in Private Investigation Course

Blackford Centre for Private Investigation

1. WELCOME

• Introduction to private investigation
• What is a private investigator?
• Private investigation as a career
• The profession of a private investigator
• The code of ethics

2. WHAT PI’S DO - PART 1

• Introduction to investigative theory
• Investigative methodology
• Principles of investigative methodology

3. WHAT PI’S DO – PART 2

• Introduction
• The basic identifiers
• Locating sources of information
• Public records and semi restricted records
• Public records Semi-restricted records

4. INTERVIEWING AND INTERROGATION

• The basic principles of interviewing
• Preparation
• First contact with your interviewee
• Your interview objectives
• The interviewee’s attitude
• The different types of interview
• The art of questioning
• Suggestions and tips
• Dealing with deceptive responses
• Client interviews
• Third party interviews
• Witness interviews
• Expert interviews
• Interrogation

5. NOTE TAKING AND REPORT WRITING

• Note taking
• Note taking guidelines and suggestions
• Written statements
• Report writing
• Guidelines for good report writing

6. USING PRETEXTS

• Illegal pretexts
• Ask an expert
• When a pretext can be used
• The guidelines for using pretexts

7. INSURANCE INVESTIGATIONS

• Insurance investigations
• Fraudulent disability investigations
• Motor vehicle accident investigations
• Premise accidents investigations
• Railroad crossing investigations
• Suicide investigations
• Accident reconstruction experts and basics
• Fires and explosions
• Forensic photography

8. CIVIL INVESTIGATIONS

• A definition of civil law
• Defenses against tort actions
• An introduction to civil investigations
• Liquor liability investigations
• Liquor liability investigations
• Professional malpractice investigations
• Product liability investigations

9. CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS

• The general principles of criminal investigation
• The burden of proof
• Criminal defence investigations
• The fundamental principles of evidence
• Presumptions and the burden of proof
• Evidence preservation and forensics
• Undercover investigations

10. BACKGROUND INVESTIGATIONS

• Assets background checks
• Business partners background checks
• Pre – employment background checks
• Mate checks
• Self defence background checks
• Witnesses and jury background checks

11. FINDING MISSING PERSONS

• The types of missing persons
• The preliminary interview with your client
• Finding young missing persons
• Finding indigent and homeless missing persons
• Finding other types of missing persons

12. COMMERCIAL THEFT INVESTIGATIONS

• Retail theft investigations
• The general principles of retail theft investigations
• Classification of shoplifters
• Recognizing a shoplifter
• The methods of shoplifting
• How to prevent shoplifting
• The types of employee theft

13. DOMESTIC INVESTIGATIONS AND COURT TESTIMONY

• Domestic investigations
• Child custody investigations
• Fidelity investigations
• Court testimony

14. SURVEILLANCE

• General surveillance principles
• Surveillance by foot
• A team approach to surveillance by foot
• Fixed surveillance
• Common carrier surveillance
• Vehicle surveillance
• Single vehicle surveillance
• Moving surveillance
• Tips for better surveillance
• Surveillance at night
• Two vehicle surveillance
• Video surveillance

15. SETTING UP YOUR BUSINESS

• Types of business
• Location
• Investigative equipment
• Business plan
• Credit applications
• Alternate financial resources
• Estimating start up costs
• Business operations and accounting
• Business bank account
• Hourly rate and investigative fees
• Insurance requirements and bonding
• Naming your company

16. MARKETING

• Strategic marketing planning
• Advertising and promotion
• Personal selling
• Tips for print media
• Your potential market

Read more: What you’ll find in the pack