ABSTRACT
This chapter highlights the types of traits and skill levels needed to succeed in the world of investigative practice. The really good investigator has a natural aptitude and is intrigued by the investigative process coupled with the human relations involved. Good investigators are driven by facts rather than by emotions, preconceptions, biases, or opinions that lack a factual basis. “Stick-to-itiveness,” a professional and personal obsession with getting the facts right, and a corresponding desire to discern the proper resolution of a case, are mandatory attributes of a good investigator. Investigators who cannot relate to clients, witnesses, agency heads, government employees, police system and social service personnel, and insurance and claims adjusters, will be less than proficient. The qualities of objectivity, logic, perseverance, and diligence, and formidable interpersonal skills, represent mandatory attributes of the competent investigator. The relationship between professional preparation, qualification standards and ongoing elevation of security personnel, and any notion of ethics, is simply undeniable.
