Detectives and investigators have several roles. They perform surveillance and searches. They verify facts, like an individual's place of employment and income. The detective or investigator will interview people to gather information and perform background checks. Many detectives and investigators work undercover so they can gather information inconspicuously. The computer is an excellent investigative tool because it provides access to a wide array of information, like a person's prior arrests, legal judgments, telephone numbers, associations and vehicle registration numbers.
The role of the private investigator is to meet the needs of his client. These individuals are employed to connect clues and uncover facts. Private investigators can help an individual dealing with identity theft or harassing e-mails. These investigators also can help in child custody and missing person cases. Many private investigators are employed to uncover unfaithful spouses. Like other detectives and investigators, private investigators spend a lot of time in front of the computer doing research and writing reports.
Many investigators are specialized. For example, a computer forensic investigator will specialize in the recovery and analysis of computer data that could be presented as evidence in court. These investigators recover erased or encrypted files and even deleted passwords. A legal investigator can assist in the preparation of a criminal defense case by locating and interviewing witnesses, as well as gathering and reviewing evidence. Such an investigator can assemble reports for trials, take photographs and even testify in court. Legal investigators often work privately for lawyers.
The FBI is the U.S. government's principal investigating department. This agency employs many investigators who are responsible for national security and criminal matters. These agents perform many of the same roles as a regular investigator, just on a larger scale. These agents investigate white-collar crime, examine business records, monitor wiretaps and participate in undercover assignments. Organized crime, bank robberies, cyber crime and drug trafficking are cases regularly investigated by FBI agents.