PRIVATE DETECTIVE ONLY
(6hr) Training
301 & 302
Do not start this course if you need 12-hr Pre-Assignment Training.
This course is ONLY for 6-hr Continuing Training needs.
This course is for:
PRIVATE DETECTIVES
Please contact us if you do not know what course you need to take.
-Please read through this Intro Page and watch video-
-Then click “TAKE THIS COURSE” button on the top of this page to get started-
Video Length: 5 minutes
REQUIRED: Watch entire video
COURSE RATIONALE
This course is intended to provide a comprehensive training/educational pathway for private detective practitioners, public law enforcement officers who work private investigations part time, all those who are instructors of private detectives, and those who seek new careers or promotion in the field of Private Investigations. Special attention was devoted during the preparation of this curriculum to assure that it contains all of the required topics set out by Rule 7506 and Minnesota Statute Chapter 326 regarding certified training of Private Detectives.
GENERAL OBJECTIVES
1. This course is designed to meet or exceed the requirements of the Minnesota State Board of Private Detectives and Protective Agents for mandatory pre-assignment training of private detectives and for continuing education credits for private investigation practitioners. It is intended that the same material used to teach the 12 hour requirements shall be used to teach the 6 hour requirements.
2. This course is also designed for public law enforcement officials who perform private detective services or who own private detective companies or who teach private detectives. It is intended that this course will meet or exceed the requirements of the POST Board for licensed public law enforcement officer POST credits.
3. This course will be of interest to private detective company owners, managers and authorized representatives as well as the employees who work for these companies.
COURSE CONTENT
The following list of topics will be addressed in this course:
Lesson 1
Private Detective Overview
I. INTRODUCTION
This opening session is a fast-paced overview of 26 topics that introduce the subject matter of private investigations. It starts with relevant definitions and includes a look at the goals of investigations, the philosophy of investigations, an extensive list of services provided by private detectives, a comparison of “color-of-law” with “color-of-rule”, the generic job description of a private detective, and many more foundational concepts. This section ends with examples of the limits of private investigations controlled by law. Numerous case histories will be discussed.
Legal Authority & Liability Issues
II. LEGAL ASPECTS OF PRIVATE INVESTIGATIONS
This vitally important segment, concentrates on both civil law and criminal law that impacts the work of the private detective. It includes all of the elements requested by the State Licensing Board and much more. The statute law and case law studied here provide the basis for a clear understanding of the guidelines and limits of the private detective. The examination of the Buswell case is one thing students will not want to miss. Issues such as use of force, vicarious liability, reasonable expectation of privacy, rules of evidence, and private detective liability generators are essentials for anyone working in this industry to understand. Obviously, no one wants to get sued or arrested for doing what they do in their life’s work. This session on legal aspects may go a long way towards preventing your next run-in with Civil or Criminal Law.
III. SEXUAL HARASSMENT
In addition to the above, there is a very important segment in this study on sexual harassment. The message here is to both genders to keep their sexual interests to activities outside the workplace. This session is a must see for practicing private detectives who work in male-female mixed teams.
Lesson 2
Verbal Communications
IV. CONFLICT RESOLUTION
From time to time the private detective finds himself or herself in situations where the best skill to use is their verbal skills. In this session we will examine a hostility analysis, discuss controlling front line rage, review verbal de-escalation and identify positive attitudes towards interpersonal communications.
V. INFORMATION GATHERING THROUGH VERBAL COMMUNICTIONS
It could be said that information gathering is 95% of what the private detective does. Much of the information that private detectives gather is through communicating with others. This session will explain the difference between interrogation & interviewing
It will examine legitimate interrogation techniques, prerequisites to successful interviews and interviewing techniques, and methods of obtaining a valid confession.
VI. FINAL DISPOSITION OF INFORMATION GATHERING
The final step to any investigation or gathering of information is to package that information in such a way that your client will be willing to pay you for it. It will be stressed that if a private detective is to stay in business that detective must have something to sell. Information is what he has to sell and the packaging of that information is what makes the client want to pay the bills. Many times that package of information is delivered in court. Thus, a short segment addresses proper courtroom testimony and how to sell your package to a panel of jurors.
Written Communications
VII. FIELD NOTES AND REPORT WRITING
Once we have explained how important information gathering is to the private detective, it is vital that the detective be able to put that information into proper written form. Putting that report together requires good note taking and then accurate transfer of information from notes to the final report. In this session we discuss the value of field notes, effective note taking, the six essential ingredients of report writing, the characteristics of a well-written report. Next we have a short discussion regarding the fact that anything the detective writes down may be used in a law suit by either side in a dispute. The detective must be careful that what is written down doesn’t come back later to haunt them.
Body Language
VIII. NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS
Wouldn’t it be nice to know when someone is lying to you? Well, you can’t! But the next best thing is reading that person’s common body language which in many cases speaks louder than words. Using real examples, we will study kinesics, proxemics, facial expressions, physical symptoms and paralanguage.
There are 2 Lessons in this Course.
You must Pass the Quiz in each Lesson before you are able to move onto the next Lesson.
-Click “TAKE THIS COURSE” button on the top of this page to get started-
Do not click on the Lesson links below, unless you have already Started the Course, and need to continue.
(If you click a Lesson link below, and you have not already started the course, it will say you don’t have access and need to register. You will then need to Click the “Take course” button on that page, to start the course.)
Lessons
Lesson 1 Private Detective Overview and Legal Issues (6hr) CTTA301
Lesson 2 Communications (6hr) CTTA302
INFORMATION GATHERING THROUGH VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS 1. Interviewing: Interviewing and interrogation are similar in that they both require communication skills, but, both require different approaches. An interview is a conversation with a purpose. Interviews develop additional sources of information. Because investigators want to stay away from the word interrogation they use the term interview sometimes when the […]