Private investigators who are also are known as private eyes provide surveillance and investigative services. The services are offered day in day out to law enforcement agencies, private businesses, banks, and other money lending institutions, insurance firms and many other parties in the general population.
Private investigators are thus essential people in an economy whose services are in high demand and are highly valued by the parties in the marketplace. Their main work revolves around surveillance and investigation although particular tasks differ from a duty to another.
Different private investigators are equipped with different skills to handle the specific tasks that fall under their fields of training. Other than their professional skills, a private investigator is also required to fulfill a number of legal requirements. Some of these requirements are similar, but most of them differ from one country to another.
The following are some of the legal requirements of a private investigator in Singapore:
– To be a private investigator in Singapore, you should have achieved some level of formal education. Although it is not a requirement, formal education and training will equip you with the professional skills required to make your work more efficient.
Those with some knowledge in criminology and political science have upper hand investigations rotate around these two fields. The two courses equip one with skills that can propel your career forward in your area of specialization. The much-needed skills include:
. Skills on how to handle legal procedures concerning a specific investigative task. Evidence of gathering abilities. skills on how to deduce facts and pierce evidence together.
– An investigator must have some experience in the investigative field. Employers usually prefer candidates with vast experience in criminology, criminal justice or any other area that involves investigation and surveillance.
– Skills in investigation help one to handle different situations accordingly. They also help one to avoid trouble and help one defend himself properly should need to arise.
– The skills also help one to deliver quality services and meet the client’s satisfaction.
Apart from education, a private investigator must also have excellent interpersonal skills, qualities, and interests. These ensure that you are cut for the job. They help you develop the required passion for success and hence reduces troubles during your career as a private investigator.
A person with the interpersonal skills that much the skills needed in criminal justice or criminology or political science may find the job more rewarding and can be assured that they are destined for success as private investigators. Most of these skills come naturally, and self-evaluation can play a vital role in determining if you are fit for the job.
Some of the skills and requirements under this include:
– Proper communication skills. As a private investigator, you interact with different stakeholders. Good communication skills. Will help you communicate easily with the clients and your sources of information while in the field.
– Should be highly observant.A private investigator should be keen at all times and able to capture even the slightest of details. Some details might seem small but can prove very crucial in the course of an investigation.
– Empathy and patience are also highly recommended when presenting your findings to the client. An investigator should engage some intelligence while relaying some disturbing news to a client so that the client can cope and come to terms with the result and avoid reacting.
– Private investigators should be a person of high integrity. With the highest level of integrity skills, one can be honest and have appropriate moral principles needed to keep confidential information, and important secrets learned from a client during the investigation.
– One should also be courageous enough to handle an investigation and witness in courts or any other formal gathering with confidence whenever necessary.
– As much as teamwork is encouraged, a private investigator should also be able to carry out his/ her duties independently which makes him/ her more flexible and thus saves time.
A private investigator needs a valid license which is issued by the licensing authority upon fulfilling the following:
– You must have attained the age of 16 years old to apply for the license
– You must prove, with a certificate from a medical doctor, that you are physically fit and in a position to comfortably carry out your duties and perform the tasks that come with the job.
– Annual certification by a medical doctor is needed for applicants above the age of 60
– A 5 year’s operating license is issued upon fulfilling the two requirements.
The Singapore law dictates that before one is deployed as a private investigator, he/ she should:
– Pass a performance module showing that you can carry out an investigation without breaking the law.
– Obtain a WSQ (workforce Skills Qualification)
Upon deployment, as a private investigator, you are required to adhere to the set of rules and regulations stipulated regarding a private investigation. These include:
– You have to carry the license with you all the time for as long a you are on duty. This is according to section 20 using the Private Security Industry Act in Singapore.
– You must identify yourself and show your license to anyone who asks to see it
– You should also remember that the license is your identification card which makes your work efficient by enabling people to identify you with your job but it does not give you any right to go against the law.
Private investigators are also guided by a general code of conduct that defines behaviors considered appropriate and inappropriate while investigators are out in the field working. These include:
– You should treat all with respect and in a professional way
– You should treat all with equality and should discriminate against no one.
– you should not use abusive language or profanity
– Use of excessive force is prohibited
– You should not be under the influence of drugs or alcohol at any time while working
The above are some of the primary requirements of a private investigator in Singapore. Additional requirements may be necessary given that private investigators work in different areas with different employers or clients depending on the nature of the investigation. With the right skills, the job of a private investigator can be so fulfilling