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Studies & Degrees in Policing and Private Investigation

Choose where you would like to study Policing and Private Investigation:

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The United State’s first era of financial depression during the 1930’s was a bad decade for the police and other private security firms. The depression hit their image the most due to the corruption brought out by the famous alcohol prohibition. The mob capitalizing on the police’s man power for protection and the private firms served as bodyguards and “muscles”. As tainted as the image of the Police and Private Investigators are, a career in that particular field may still be lucrative if not fulfilling.

Any national police academy usually offers this particular course. The scope basically involves psychology, criminology, field forensics and all other subjects regarding the career. This field has also been commented as a good pre-law undergraduate course for those who may want to take their skills to the next level in the immortal words of the legendary writer Mario Puzo author of The Godfather. “A lawyer can steal more with a briefcase than a hundred men with guns.” Then again if you’re in it for the action why not stay on the street as a beat cop and bust crime like dirty Harry catching criminal punks just to make your day. The rise technology has also developed hi-tech ways of solving crimes under the process of forensic science. That may be considered as the higher step in this particular course where you will get the opportunity to solve crimes using forensic methods as a crime scene investigator.

However there is still the reality regarding the level of financial income if one chooses public service as a career under this course. Serving as the main reason why private firms find it hard to clean up their image. Today in the streets, private investigator is synonymous to bodyguard, bounty hunter, mercenary and hit man. Before, the services offered by private firms was commonly isolated to VIP protection and Private Investigation which basically involved solving cold cases for private clients or tracking down missing persons. Still then P.I.’s (Private Investigators) were widely mistrusted due to the mindset that they were simply people scamming desperate clients who would pay large amounts for a particular crime to be solved or for a love one to be found. Another source of mistrust is that not everyone who wants someone to be found is a love one which is why being a P.I. is synonymous to a bounty hunter. However unlike professional bounty hunters who collect rewards offered by the state to capture wanted criminals also in some cases, under the preset of the terms “dead or alive”. Private clients may have underlying intentions as to why they want a specific someone to be found. It is also the reason why in some occasions P.I.’s are sometimes regarded as hit men.

Sadly, an education in Policing and Private Investigation is perfectly suited for such a career. Currently, it is widely known that due to the onset of 9/11 private security firms now accept private contracts from their perspective governments. These firms apparently view the conflicts in the Middle East as an opportunity to earn huge amounts of money. Which is why when working for private firms one may also be regarded as a mercenary. However a military background is recommended if one decides to be employed under such companies. Simply because the job ranges from guarding oil pipes and supply line s from terrorists and insurgents and also training the local forces in the arts of war.