# Why do the Police hate P.I. so much



## lwhitehead (Aug 21, 2016)

Hi folks why do Police forces hate P.I's so much no mater what form of Detective fiction I seen it's all the same, P.I.'s are loathed by police force it was the comic series Stumptown inspired me to create a P.I. based in Vancouver BC, 


Edward Royal, founder and chief P.I. of Royal P.I.


The only agency in the city with the biggest ad that uses the Royal coat of arms in the ad,


LW


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## Winston (Aug 21, 2016)

I wouldn't say "hate".  I'd say many police look down on private detectives as being unprofessional (i.e. "washed-up cops").  Or, they are seen as shady and untrustworthy.  Law enforcement mercenaries, if you will.
I'm not saying that's correct or "fair", but police live by (lack of a better term) profiling.  I'm sure there are plenty of good private investigators out there (I worked for Pinkerton before I was hired by the Sheriffs).  Just that "private dicks" are on the periphery, outsiders.


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## ironpony (Aug 22, 2016)

I'm not a P.I. or a cop, so I am just giving an opinion here.  But perhaps maybe sometimes the police can get jealous of what P.I.'s can accomplice compared to the police?  Now when I say that I am not judging the police at all, I am just saying maybe that's what why, but no judgement from me on the police, honestly.

I saw a documentary, an episode of 48 hours mystery I believe, where the police investigated a murder, and the killer was never caught and they closed the case as unsolved.  The family of the murder victim did not like this, so they used their money to hire their own P.I., and the P.I. did a better job at getting the necessary evidence to find the real killer.  So maybe the police feel that P.I.s can to do more of a job sometimes, cause they are payed too, where as the police are limited maybe?


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## lwhitehead (Oct 19, 2016)

So it's the fact they get paid better then the police, I still don't know current fee's for P.I.

LW


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## GKGhost (Oct 22, 2016)

If police "hated" private investigators then why would police forces hire them to do further investigation, to get involved where they can't, and also to do the nitty gritty [research, stakeouts, etc.] that officers don't have the manpower or time to do? PIs, after all, do have to obey the law but their hands aren't quite as tied in red tape as it is for police officers. 

Police, if anything, may have some problems with PIs on a moral basis. There was one old cop who upon retiring commented he would never get into PI work because he didn't want to be the guy that broke up someone else's marriage. 



As for a "fee" for PIs, unless they are part of a private investigation organization & even then rep goes well for $$, they are by and large freelancers and like any other freelancer the "fee" is based on reputation, experience & location. Some green thumb in Sticksville isn't going to get anywhere near the money as a professional in Las Vegas.


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## ppsage (Oct 22, 2016)

Becker didn't hate Rockford. At least not always.


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## K.S. Crooks (Oct 29, 2016)

There can be a dislike of PIs because they can ruin a case by doing searches and gathering evidence that cannot be used in court because of the method used obtain it.


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## lwhitehead (Oct 30, 2016)

I wanted to create a High grade PI type of character,


LW


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## GKGhost (Oct 31, 2016)

K.S. Crooks said:


> There can be a dislike of PIs because they can ruin a case by doing searches and gathering evidence that cannot be used in court because of the method used obtain it.



Watching too much TV. If that was really the case, as I said, then police forces _*wouldn't*_ hire PIs to do that extra work.


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