Many individuals who are frustrated with law enforcement or reluctant to consider other legal paths might consider hiring a private investigator. These individuals have a large amount of experience and an impressive array of resources at their disposal to investigate various avenues to obtain important information; however, many people have misconceptions about what private investigators can and can't do. It is important to clearly demarcate what these investigators can and cannot do.
First and foremost, private investigators cannot wiretap people's phones. Many people ask private investigators to record phone calls. While private investigators are physically capable of doing this, wiretapping a phone requires the consent of the other party. Good luck obtaining this kind of consent from anyone.
Next, private investigators also cannot trespass on private property. They cannot break into people's homes, cars, or other buildings without the consent of the other party. This is as true for law enforcement as it is for private investigators. This includes reading other people's mail. This also requires their consent.
Private investigators also cannot arrest anyone. Because private investigators are not law enforcement, they are not allowed to arrest people. On the other hand, if they witness a crime in progress, they are allowed to take steps to stop this crime. For example, if they see someone being assaulted, they can jump in and try to stop the attack.
What can private investigators do? First, they are allowed to run a license plate. This can yield valuable information for certain people. On the other hand, even this has limits. There must be some sort of legal grounds for running this license plate before they do so.
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