Private investigators who are professional and passionate about their industry are more than likely going to be involved in associations/organizations and the PI community in general. This is often a way to “weed out” the fly-by-night companies from the respectable investigative agencies who utilize competent, qualified investigators. The Professional Private Investigators Association of Colorado is an organization based in Denver where investigators and private detectives network and train with each other. PPIAC constantly monitors legislative bills which could potentially affect the way private investigators can operate in this state. In fact, PPIAC has lobbied to bring investigator licensing to Colorado.
Other professional and national organizations to look for depending on their areas of specialization include: the National Association of Legal Investigators (NALI), the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), and the National Council of Investigation and Security Services (NCISS). Memberships in these organizations as well as others may give an indication of a company’s standing in the investigative community. Fly-by-nighters and shady investigators likely won’t care to be involved with organizations or other investigative agencies for fear of exposure. The shady types also won’t care about most legislative efforts which pertain to the investigative community as they often use unscrupulous methods to conduct their private investigations anyway.