Ethical Decision Making in an Industry of Unethical Business Practices

When we think of Private Security or Private Investigator, we view someone or their business as honest, admirable with integrity. Unfortunately this may not be the case, as the private security and investigation industry is not known for being the most ethical. Many private security and investigative companies operate under lax terms due cost per hour and in an attempt to “make a few extra dollars”. All things considered; insurance, licensing, taxes and paying employees their worth is not cheap.

We understand that many Clients seek for the “cheap” and “quick” method of approach. Although it may sound like there are hundreds of Security professionals and Investigators in your area, there may only be a handful of them that can truly help you with your needs while running a legit operation. In Arizona specifically, you are able to look at licensing status via the DPS website — AZ DPS Licensing Unit.

In recent news, a Florida man had been running a security company (metro-state services), posing to provide professional services, while impersonating a police officer during funeral processions and off-duty. Individuals in the industry like this are reckless and tarnish the name most of us professionals work hard for.
Man Impersonating Officer – LINK

It is not only small businesses at fault, but many of times large industry leaders over promising and under-delivering, and there are many examples of this online. Delivering proven results (through case studies) to a Client should be part of the intake phase and only trusted vendors should be working under your name. Anyone that provides a service for you, is an ambassador to your brand and the negative impact an employee can have on your business could be devastating. “Hire people slowly, fire them quickly” — a great quote, as you must take your time in finding dependable, hard working employees.

Now that we have spoken of businesses, we should touch on the Clients themselves. Not every “Client” is a “Client” and not every “Case” is a “Case”. We should vet every Client that we interact with, to ensure their intentions are sound. From time to time, we encounter Clients that seek information on a subject to potentially blackmail, stalk or physically harm them. Understanding a Clients wants, needs and expectation IS paramount. In the event an incident occurs, involving physical harm or information provided that is protected, could land the Investigator or Security Company in a heap of trouble. A prime example of a Client attempting to hire a private investigator under false pretenses would be when the Client has a restraining order against them. Under law, a private investigator falls under 3rd party, which makes it illegal for the Client to do as such. In many cases we have encountered this, which makes asking questions very important.

Ethical Checklist for Potential Clients and Business Owners:

Make sure whomever you are hiring to provide you a service, has the proper credentialing.
Make sure the Client has an ethical reason for the search or service.
Make sure your provided service and expectations align.
The cheapest route, may not be the most beneficial route.
In the event you need to obtain information for a Client, having attorney Client privilege may be beneficial.
Working within ethical boundaries will always outweigh making quick cash.

If you are seeking a consultation or would like to speak with an agent at Mayhem Solutions Group, LLC. feel free to call us at 1-866-7MAYHEM.

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