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OKC Private Investigations & Process Server in Oklahoma

Looking Back At the Origins and Evolution of Private Investigations

Origins and Evolution of Private Investigations

Private investigators in Oklahoma often get a somewhat bad reputation, mainly because of the work they do. Since they work indifferent from the police and take up investigations personally, they must be held to a different standard than detectives working under the law.

And even though there is some truth to that, private investigators in OKC have a code of ethics. So even though they do not have the same standards as police detectives, that is precisely the reason why they succeed in areas where the police fail.

But to reach its current stage, the private investigation agencies in Oklahoma have had to come a long way. By looking at the origins of the industry and its evolution, you can better understand how the practices of private investigators have changed over the years. Hopefully, you will be able to change some misconceptions that you have about Private detectives in Oklahoma by the end.

The Origins of the Private Investigation Agency

Private detectives have been playing an active role in ancient societies as well. Some have found that private investigators were active in ancient Sumerian times, where people would help solve problems in exchange for other goods and services.

But even though the first private investigator has been around for many years now, these agencies are fairly recent. The first recorded private investigation agency, began in France. Dubbed the Office of Intelligence, the firm began operations in 1833, with Eugene Francois, a former soldier, as its founder.

Of course, the association of private investigators with a shady history goes as early back as the early 1800s. Law enforcement at the time did not like these firms, seeing how they charged for their services, and because most of the people working in it were ex-convicts. Some of the people working in the firm were police officers, but they had a shady past as well. Other detectives in the firm were convicted felons who became police officers.

Therefore, it is safe to say that these companies have always lived with the association that they were doing something shady. And most times, they were. These ex-convicts had “unsavory” tactics to solve people’s problems, which would usually catch the attention of law enforcement.

Despite their bad reputation, business boomed during the early years, and the firm did more than just solve people’s issues. Other than being a pioneer of the agency, Eugene Francois Vidocq was also responsible for some of the most common practices that professionals use today.

He used the record-keeping standard and introduced ballistics and criminology to investigations. He would even go on to create unaltered bond paper and indelible ink. These are some of the most common tools and practices used by them in Oklahoma City today.

Private Investigators; an Evolving Field

Since its inception, private investigators have had a single purpose, to offer services of law enforcement in a more personal capacity. So responsibilities that most police officers would undertake but no longer could because they were ill-prepared or unwilling, private detectives would do so instead.

Furthermore, they had the edge over police officers and other law enforcement, as they did not follow the same rules. They could easily follow suspicious suspects or ask questions that the police would otherwise not be able to ask.

However, the major issue that plagued many was that of elitism. All detectives would offer their services at a premium, which is why their usual customers would include wealthy individuals looking for a police officer with looser morals. Their most common jobs at the time included solving and handling labor disputes for rich clients in their factories.

During the early years of their work, most of them would also rely on mercenary work to get by. Since these detectives were ex-law enforcement or ex-soldiers, they used their skills in handling other disputes as well.

Private Investigation Agencies Today

A private investigation agency is very different from the small firms that started it all. While most of the detectives are still ex-soldiers and law enforcement, they are very different regarding how they go about their job. They stay in the confines of the law and now have a strict code of ethics when dealing with suspects and clients.

TV and film like to romanticize the idea of these agents working in the shady underbelly of the city. They show them as either gruff or tough men who will stop at nothing for the truth or as cunning foxes who are not afraid to break a few laws if it means they can solve the case.

In the real world, however, they have to tread a very fine line to do their job. Since they do not have access to crime scenes or other perks that police detectives do, they have to be creative and careful. They are not strangers to threats to their lives or their safety. So they have to be careful of the rocks they look under, as they do not want to make the wrong person angry.

They prove to be an essential part of people’s lives, as it even helps them solve various problems that the police could not. The most common cases that they take on during their tenure usually include cheating spouses.

But if you want to work with a professional Private investigation agency in Oklahoma, we can certainly help. At Keefe Private Investigations, we offer all the investigative services you would expect from a typical private detective. We help with various cases, such as animal cruelty and catfish investigations.

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