The role of private investigators and commercial agents in law enforcement

Abstract

This study estimates that there are about 25,000 private investigators in Australia and explores the nature of their work, based on 40 in depth interviews in Queensland and New South Wales. The study examines the kinds of work done by private agents, how effective they are, the legal and ethical issues involved, the issue of regulation and training, and how the benefits of private agents can be maximised by their clients, most notably agencies affected by fraud. Overall, the study finds that private investigators, process servers and debt recovery agents occupy a critical place in the justice system.