CA Private Investigator case studies
CA Private Investigator · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The California Private Investigator credential is issued by the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS), which "licenses and regulates the Alarm, Locksmith, Private Investigator, Private Security Services, and Repossession Industries." Candidates typically pursue it to work as investigators, run an investigations business, or qualify as a manager or qualified manager for a licensed firm. The licensing exam is multiple choice and is organized around five content areas: licensing requirements and application procedures; laws and regulations governing private investigators; powers, duties, and restrictions; ethics, professional conduct, and client relations; and investigative techniques and reporting. The CA Private Investigator case studies are 5 cases and about 1,907 words.
1The 90-Day Qualifying Experience Problem
Marisol applies for her private investigator license. She has worked 2,800 hours over 14 months as an in-house loss-prevention investigator for a retail chain, conducting employee theft interviews and writing reports.
418 words, about 2 min2The Records Demand Without a Subpoena
A PI is retained by an insurance carrier to investigate a suspected fraudulent injury claim. The claimant's neighbor tells the PI she saw the claimant gardening and lifting bags of soil.
365 words, about 2 min3Surveillance Across a Property Line
A PI is conducting mobile and static surveillance of a subject suspected of workers' compensation fraud. The subject lives on a flag lot; the only clear view of the backyard is from an adjacent vacant parcel owned by a third party.
401 words, about 2 min4The Client Who Wants the Report Changed
A PI completes a surveillance report for an attorney client. The report states that on Day 2 the subject was observed for only 45 minutes before the PI lost him in traffic; on Day 3 the subject was observed mowing his lawn for 20 minutes.
347 words, about 2 min5The Missing Chain of Custody
A PI is hired by a business to investigate internal theft. During a walk-through, the PI finds a USB drive in a break room and a handwritten note in a desk drawer belonging to an employee.
376 words, about 2 min