You may be having a dream of becoming a private investigator Portsmouth but do you really know what private investigator can do? Or you are brainwashed by the TV shows just like most people. Many movies and TV shows have made the view of a private investigator seem like unlicensed officer who is allowed to do anything a cop can do without being answerable to the office. This view is very wrong and if you want to become a private investigator then you need to clear that picture. The following are some of the things a private investigator can’t do.

1. A private investigator can’t wiretap a phone without consent. This movies and TV shows have many believe that a private investigator can wiretap a phone without a person’s consent. Yes he can wiretap the phone but he will have to have the consent of every individual involved. Any private investigator who taps a phone without consent then he is committing a crime. If discovered he will be arrested and any evidence obtained using this illegal mean cannot be used in a court of law.
2. Private investigators cannot record private conversations. A private investigator is not allowed to record a conversation if he does not have the consent of both parties. For example you cannot hire a private investigator in Portsmouth to bug your rival’s conference room. If it is a conversation that is loud enough that anyone can hear then a private investigator is allowed to eavesdrop or record the conversation.
3. Private investigator can’t trespass on private property. A private investigator is like a law enforcement officer, he cannot enter a person’s property without their permission. You cannot hire him to break into another person’s house. A private investigator cannot open another person’s mails, it is illegal. If you are a private investigator and you are caught trespassing then you will face the consequences.
4. Private investigators cannot obtain protected information. There are so many movies showing private investigators hacking into government servers to obtain some information. The law prohibits any private investigator from obtaining protected information. Private investigators are very good at obtaining information and they are allowed to track down where people are hiding their undisclosed accounts. For example if you are building a case on former partner who is not paying child support, a private investigator can help you track down the undisclosed accounts by your ex-partner. The private investigator is not allowed to know the balance of those accounts. A private investigator is also prevented access to government record, he can only determine whether a person has a criminal record or not but cannot access the records.
5. Private investigators can’t make arrest. A private investigator does all the investigations, uncover a crime and track down fugitives but a he is not allowed to make arrests. Private investigators don’t have the license to make arrests. There some exception to this rule as sometimes. For example if a private investigator witnesses a person committing a crime like physical assault, he can be allowed to make arrests.

Now that you understand some of the things that a private investigator can’t do, it is also important to know some of the things a private investigator is legally permitted to do. The things he is permitted to do includes:

• A private investigator can conduct background checks of anyone he is hired to investigate.
• A private investigator is licensed to track and find missing persons.
• A private investigator can own a weapon as long as it is licensed.
• A private investigator is legally permitted to gather evidence using legal means to prove that one parent is not capable of bringing up the children on his/her own.
• A private investigator can run a license plate but he must have legal justification before running the plate.

What makes a good private investigator?

Most people believe that an excellent private investigator has to have some experience in the force but that is not true at all. Modern private investigators can help in corporate and financial issues which really doesn’t require any experience from the force. As long as a private investigator has undergone the necessary training and he is passionate about his work, then that is a good private investigator.