Training
Surveillance Training
Practical, one-on-one field training with a licensed Ontario investigator who has more than 25 years in the industry.
The Path
There are many steps in becoming a Private Investigator
- 1Be eligible
- 2Take the mandatory 50-hour Private Investigator Basic Training course
- 3Pass the Private Investigator Test with at least a 77%
- 4Get licenced
- 5Go through the hiring process
- 6Get trained
- 7Start working as a Private Investigator on your own files
Why it matters
How important is Surveillance Training?
If you are seriously interested in becoming a Private Investigator, please do yourself a favour and look into or ask specifically about training. Essentially, training will make or break you.
If you are looking for surveillance training, call the companies who provide this service and ask them:
- What is the cost?
- How long is the training?
- Who (person) provides the training?
- What kind of experience do they have?
- What is covered - specifically?
- Do they offer a Training Manual?
- Do they provide some sort of 'Training Progression Report' to prove to a prospective employer you have training, and what it entailed?
Two ways to get trained
The first and most common is to find a company to hire you with no experience, and have that company provide the training. However, training varies considerably. Some companies bring you on a ride-a-long with another investigator for a few days, then send you out on your own.
THIS IS NOT TRAINING
Other companies only offer a set amount of training hours to reduce their costs, then throw you out to learn as you go. If the new investigator is not ready, this can result in losing subjects, getting burnt, or not getting the video evidence required. The investigator may get discouraged and quit or be fired.
The legal side
Students who take surveillance training do not need to be licenced as a Private Investigator, however they must be with a licenced investigator who will provide the training. Students will not be training on actual cases where confidential information is an issue. Rather they will be doing mock (fictitious) surveillances and investigations.
THIS IS ILLEGAL
Some companies who offer surveillance training will tell the student to practice following people on their own and report back to them. If caught following someone, you can be charged with Intimidation or Criminal Harassment (Stalking) under the Canadian Criminal Code. To follow someone legally, one must be licenced as a Private Investigator, or be with someone who is.
What proper training looks like
Proper training is more than just following someone
To properly train a new investigator, they should be shown how to conduct a surveillance and investigation from start to finish. That means learning how a case is received, what to do with the information, how to confirm or determine information in order to strategize how to do surveillance, how to conduct the surveillance itself, how to follow and take video evidence of the subject, and finally how to construct a professional report to reflect what was done.
Most people think, "I can follow someone, so I can be a Private Investigator." Keep in mind, following a subject is only one component of what a Private Investigator does. Just because you can follow someone, does not mean you can do this job.
Every individual is different, therefore requires different amounts of time to learn various aspects of the job. To be trained properly, each individual should be trained on each component required, until they have the confidence to do it themselves. A good trainer should be able to quickly decipher whether or not the new investigator has the mental capacity for the job. If they do, they can be trained. It is just a matter of time to build their confidence.
Return on investment
Why should I pay for training?
Taking the Surveillance Training at T.R.I.O. Investigations will allow you to apply at an investigation firm having already received training. This will show prospective employers that the investigator is serious about their newly chosen career, has taken the initiative to obtain adequate training themselves, therefore making them more attractive for a company to hire as they do not have to spend time and money on training.
T.R.I.O. Surveillance Training
Taught by Chris Dowdall
The surveillance training that T.R.I.O. Investigations provides is taught by Chris Dowdall, who has over 25 years experience in the industry as a Private Investigator and trainer. For a number of years Chris also taught the mandatory Private Investigator Basic Training course at Cambrian College in Sudbury as a part of the "Corporate Safety and Security" as well as the "Protection, Security, and Investigation" programs. (The course is also offered online on our website.)
One-on-one training
Our surveillance training will consist of everything an investigator does from the start to finish of a case. The training will be on a personal, one-on-one basis in an office setting as well as in the field actually following people. At the end of the training, the student will be provided with a full "Training Progression Report" to accurately depict what training was provided.
Do I need to be licenced?
Students who take surveillance training do not need to be licenced as a Private Investigator, however they must be with a licenced investigator who will provide the training.
What is included
- Approximately 40 Hours of Training
- A list of Required Equipment
- Background / Research (in preparation for surveillance)
- Establishing surveillance positions
- Static surveillance
- Apartment / Condominium surveillance
- Office / Medical building surveillance
- Mobile surveillance
- Foot surveillance
- Landing subjects at their destinations
- Video techniques (both with camcorder and covert cameras)
- Report structure and content
- Start to Finish Surveillance Guidelines (manual)
- A full Training Progression Report (for prospective employers)
Quality varies
As not too many companies offer surveillance training on its own, the costs vary considerably, but so does the quality of training. You get what you pay for. T.R.I.O. Investigations charges $1,000.00 + tax. This may seem steep, however think of it as an investment. It is no different than going to a college or university and paying thousands of dollars for your chosen program. If you are serious about becoming a Private Investigator, make the investment and get trained properly.
Surveillance Training
Approximately 40 hours of one-on-one surveillance training with Chris Dowdall. Manual, equipment list, and Training Progression Report included.
Payment options include credit card, PayPal, and Interac e-transfer. Online checkout is not available at this time; registrations are handled directly by T.R.I.O. Investigations. There are no refunds on surveillance training.
Ready to invest in your surveillance skills?
Contact T.R.I.O. Investigations to learn more about one-on-one surveillance training and upcoming availability.