How to choose a detective?

There are several thousand people in Poland that are involved in detective work. Some of them may have had many years of experience from, for example the police or special services. But there are also a lot of people who at some point decided to become  "Polish Marlowe’s", believing that it is not only easy and interesting, but also an overall pleasant profession. Cooperation with such people, however, could potentially prevent us from achieving the purpose for which we employ a detective, or even potentially cause us harm.  Therefore, choice of the right detective agency is crucial, since usually these are very sensitive matters.

Experience – the deciding factor behind the choice

First, we should do a simple background check on the detectives that we may want to hire, and evaluate their experience. Such information can most often be found on their websites. And if one of the potential candidates doesn’t provide any information? Then it would be easier to give it a rest right away and then move on to another.

Working in the police seems like a very good and obvious starting point, but it is still worth taking a closer look, since not all members of the police are equal. Someone who has worked for fifteen years in the prevention department certainly knows a lot of things, but their experience is second to a policeman who has worked in the investigation department. The same applies to people who opened a detective office after leaving, for instance, the secret services.

Education as one of the most important criteria

An important distinguishing feature when choosing a private detective should also be his/her education. Most obvious are, of course, law graduates. But here too, the proverbial devil is in the details. It is not so much about the diploma, but about the ability to apply the law in practice.  So if we are faced with a choice between a fresh graduate of one of the esteemed Polish universities and a man who obtained this diploma many years ago and later worked for a long time, for example, in the police, prosecutor's office or the Internal Security Agency, then the choice should be obvious.
A good recommendation, which should also be taken into account when choosing a private detective, is quite simply how long the business has been operating, as well as – at least in some cases – its ability to operate outside the local market. 

The ability to work with professionals

Another important element lies in the ability to cooperate with specialists from various fields, whose help can facilitate and speed up the completion of the task at hand.

- It is considered a good practice, when a detective agency can effectively contact and use the experience and knowledge of external consultants. For example, these could be experts in forensic technology: security techniques, psychologists, sociologists, doctors and engineers of various specialties, and even bankers and economic analysts – explains Wiesław Modrakowski, honorary president of the Polish Federation of Detectives and proxy of Expertus Law Office & Investigators, who is a graduate of the University of Toruń, doctor of legal sciences and has many years of work in the (operational and investigative) Office for Economic Crimes of the Police Headquarters.