Article

 
What is a Private Investigator?​
National and International Private Investigators Day is July 24th, commemorating the birth year of Eugene Francois Vidocq, the first Private Investigator who founded the first known detective Agency in 1833. What is a Private Investigator?  I can tell you what they aren’t.  They are not the dirty, slimy people sneaking around looking through key holes. A Private Investigator is a Professional.  Investigators are often referred to as: PI, Private Eye, Dick, Private Detective, Inquiry Agent or simply a Silent Witness.  No matter what the title, they are Professionals, hired to obtain investigative material and accurate information needed for a situation or case. They are unbiased in their gathering of information and data.  They do not gather information to prove or disapprove anyone, just a silent witness.Private Investigators are hired by individuals, Corporations, Insurance Companies, Attorneys and  Law Enforcement. The list goes on. In recent years, Private Investigators have been contracted to assist in Unsolved Cold Cases and Human Trafficking.The Bureau of Labor defines a Private Investigator as Professionals who must “gather clues and verify facts for their cases”.  A few of the Private Investigator’s talents include, undercover investigation, surveillance, documentation, photographing and videography, researching records, and interviewing people. Mississippi has a Professional organization of Private Investigators.  The MPIA, Mississippi Professional Investigators Association, was formed in 1995 and continues to strive to raise the Professional Standards of Private Investigators.  MPIA has requirements to insure the standards and professionalism that MPIA represents are followed.  MPIA’s hope is that anyone acting as a Private Investigator, or calling themselves as such, must undergo a background check and obtain a business license if they want to work in our state and be a part of MPIA.MPIA has requirements for its members.  The first is a background check, Continuing Education Hours each year,  and the remainder of requirements can be seen on the MPIA website.  www.mpia.org.MPIA currently meets twice a year for the general membership and the officers meet periodically throughout the year to discuss issues to better MPIA and its members.The next meeting is in December and the website will have more information on the date, time and location at a later date. The meetings include a special speaker, roundtable discussions, training, and networking. The meetings are open to the public for anyone interested in becoming a member or learning more about becoming a Private Investigator.Our mission is, we encourage people to seek the services of a Private Investigator that is a member of the MPIA.  Our standards are set high and the bar is raised with good ethics and integrity. Nancy Buckley Bonn  MPIA, President