Criminal investigators are private investigators that work on criminal cases. They gather evidence, conduct investigations and document details necessary for the defense or for the prosecution of a criminal case. You might be wondering, exactly what does a criminal investigator do?
Types of Cases
A criminal investigator can help with a range of types of cases. They can often do more than traditional law enforcement because they aren’t limited by manpower or by jurisdictions. They work within the law to gather necessary evidence in a way that is admissible in court, just like law enforcement. However, unlike law enforcement, they can focus their energy on a specific case, where as law enforcement can be burdened with a whole pile of cases. Here are the types of criminal cases a criminal investigator might work on:
- Fraud Investigations
- Crime Scene Investigations
- Theft Investigations
- Criminal Defense Investigations
- Homicide Investigations
- Assault/ Sex Crime Investigations
Methods Criminal Investigators Use
Much like a regular PI, criminal investigators use several different methods to gather evidence, document details, and investigate facts. The difference is that they are working on a criminal case rather than a civil case. Here are some of the methods they use to conduct investigations.
- Surveillance
- Witness Interviews
- Background Checks and Searches
- Crime Scene Analysis
- Crime Scene Photography
- Document Searches
- Electronic Searches and more
Criminal investigators are often able to find evidence and information that others have overlooked. They can collect and keep evidence in the proper way so that it is admissible in court. They use best practices, networks of contacts, records checks, surveillance and other methods mentioned to get the evidence necessary for the case. They do all of this while abiding by the laws and regulations required to ensure they don’t compromise evidence or information and to ensure everything they find or collect is useable in your case and in court. If you have a criminal case and need a top-notch criminal investigator, call Bulldog PI.
