What Is a Criminal Investigation?

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In 2019, the estimated rate of violent crime was 366.7 offenses per 100,000 inhabitants, while the rate of property crime was 2,109.9 offenses per 100,000 inhabitants. Since crime will never stop being an issue, it’s important to know when it may be beneficial to seek a private investigator that handles criminal investigations. Let’s take a look at what a criminal investigation is and how investigators can help you solve your case.

What Is a Criminal Investigation?

A criminal investigation refers to the process of seeking and gathering key evidence for a specific case. An investigator uses their skills, knowledge, and resources to identify evidence needed in a case. If a crime has been committed, an investigator will focus on revealing who committed the crime and the when, where, why, and how. While police investigations are typically handled by police investigators and law enforcement, private investigators can also be hired to take on these time-sensitive cases. 

Different Types of Criminal Investigations

There are a wide variety of types of criminal investigations. If you are seeking a private investigator to help you with your case, it’s a good idea to ask them what type of investigations they work with and how much experience they have with each type.

Common Criminal Investigations include:

  • Assault
  • Criminal defense
  • Crime scene
  • Fraud
  • Homicide
  • Missing Persons
  • Theft

Criminal Investigation Approach

As mentioned above, there are a wide range of different criminal investigations. Thus, the approach will vary depending on the type of case at hand. However, there are some basic steps used for every criminal investigation case. 

The first step is the investigation to determine if a crime has occurred and whether an arrest should be made. Once a crime has been confirmed, the investigation team will collect necessary evidence and then identify suspects. This initial step can take days, weeks, months, or even longer depending on the complexity of the case. 

If enough evidence is gathered regarding a suspect, the next step is to arrest the suspect. The last step involves taking the case to court. After countless hours and dedication, an investigator presents all of their evidence to the court. The judge will review the case and make a final decision regarding the suspect at hand.

How Can PIs Help?

A licensed private investigator has the expert skills, knowledge, and connections to help you solve your case in a timely, efficient manner. Unlike police investigators, private investigators have the time to fully invest in a criminal investigation case. If you have a time-sensitive case, you may want to consider hiring a PI.

Additionally, licensed private investigators will only obtain evidence in a legal manner. This is essential because any illegally obtained evidence will not hold up in court and can lead to serious legal issues that no one wants.

PIs use a variety of helpful resources to solve cases, such as surveillance equipment, connections with other investigators, background check records, and databases. This helps investigators gather essential information that can be used to accurately solve a case.

We hope you enjoyed this week’s recent article discussing what a criminal investigation is and how private investigators can help solve these cases. If you are looking for the best Florida private investigators, contact PATRIOT Backgrounds and Investigations today. We are your one stop shop for everything from criminal investigations to background checks and much more.

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