Everybody loves a good detective movie, novel, or story. Ever since Edgar Allan Poe wrote the first detective story (Murders At The Rue Morgue, published in 1841), our culture at large has been enamoured with the investigator finding the clue and solving the case.
Even we here at Gilliam Burke Investigations love a good detective story, but that’s just what they are: stories. While that type of fantasy is fun to read and explore through movies, a real investigation is often vastly different.
1. Investigations Take Time
Often a detective novel will feature a whirlwind of activity that takes place in just a few days (often to the lack of sleep of the private detective). In actuality, finding information and documentation is usually the key activity in an investigation, and depending on databases and sources, these can take sometimes up to two weeks to be released to the investigators. While we would love to conclude a case in a few days (and occasionally this is possible, but not all the time), frequently an investigation takes more time.
2. Illegal Acts Are A Big No-No
The classic detective written by Raymond Chandler, Philip Marlowe, is often found breaking into places to catch somebody in the act, often with quite a bit of punching involved. It’s a no-brainer to say no real investigator would find themselves in a situation like this, but it’s worth noting that other illegal acts will also not be performed by a licensed investigator in Alberta. These can involve hacking, wiretapping, or shooting video into a house. If an act seems iffy to a client, it’s probably illegal.
3. There Are No Guns Involved
In reality, a private investigator in Alberta doesn’t require a gun. We’re here to gather information, not perform arrests or be involved in fights, so while Sam Spade never leaves his office without his pistol, the fact of the matter is, a real private investigator wouldn’t find themselves in situation that needed one.
4. Car Chases Just Don’t Happen
Car chases are exciting to watch in the movies, but in real life they don’t happen. Private investigators have no more license to drive fast, or erratically, than any other individual. Unlike cops we don’t have flashing lights and special cause to speed, even if we’re following somebody who isn’t following the rules of the road. A private investigator in real life will break off surveillance rather than break road laws (if a PI in real life loses their driving license, they’re not much good to any client!).
5. There Might Not Be A Smoking Gun
There’s always that one piece of evidence in any exciting detective story where it all falls into place and all the pieces make sense. Fact of the matter is, in real life it’s more likely there are ten pieces that an investigator will find that will lead to a good circumstantial case, but that elusive “smoking gun” just doesn’t exist to be found. While every private investigator would love for the case to be that easy, unfortunately this is an instance where real life is definitely different than stories.