A private investigator refers to a person who is licensed to do some detective works. It should be noted that s/he is not a member of a police force. A private investigator in Ontario must be licensed under Ontario’s Private Security and Investigative Services Act.
A licensed private investigator must always act within the provincial, federal, and municipal laws during any investigation. A private investigator must ensure that s/he follows the rules, regulations, and Code of the Private Security & Investigative Services Act. For getting necessary information, click here.
The services that a private investigator in Ontario can legally carry out include:
- Missing person search
- Missing property search
- Obtaining necessary information on the business character, kind of business or occupation of a person
- Searching for offenders against the law
- Searching for missing tenant
- Conduction background checks
- Business private investigation
If you need a private investigator to conduct a background check or other types of investigations, try to contact a small claims paralegal in Toronto.
Some crucial techniques used by a licensed private investigator in Ontario:
The licensed private investigators can use many different types of research tools to obtain necessary information on businesses and organizations, gather evidence, and find a missing person or property. You should know that a professional private investigator usually carries out his or her surveillance at many different types of locations and at any time. Here are some of these evidence-gathering techniques:
Taking photographs, personal observations, background checks, audio and video surveillance, GPS, skip tracing, witness locating and statements, etc.
Undercover operations:
Private investigators can work undercover when all other evidence gathering techniques have been used, but they were not successful. It should be emphasized that when a private investigator follows the law, undercover investigations that are conducted as part of a workplace investigation are legal. A private investigator can use both physical surveillance and electronic surveillance to obtain necessary information and possible evidence in a case. The use of video and radio equipment is included in electronic surveillance. For physical surveillance, a private investigator can personally observe individuals, or collect discarded items, such as a residential waste from an individual’s garbage.
For more information about the things that a licensed private investigator can legally do, visit a paralegal firm in Toronto.
- Making an arrest: If a private investigator is in a situation that there is some evidence for arresting somebody, s/he should contact law enforcement.
- Wiretapping: without having a legal warrant, private investigators cannot do wiretapping and listen to somebody else’s private phone conversation.
- Impersonate law enforcement: Private Investigators in Ontario cannot do or say anything that might imply that they are police officers or federal agents such as wearing a uniform or carrying a badge.
- Trespass: A licensed investigator is not allowed to enter onto private property.
