Most Americans have been given a false impression of private investigators from watching movies and television. The Hollywood images of Sam Spade, Thomas Magnum, Jim Rockford or Barnaby Jones have as much similarity to today's professional investigators as the Ford Model T bears to a new Ferrari sports car. When reality requires the service of a professional investigator, what should the prudent consumer look for in an investigator or an investigations firm? Hiring the right investigator can mean the difference between a successful outcome and a dismal failure.

Education and Training:

One of the foremost factors that should be considered is the education and training of the investigator. Although most states require private investigators to be licensed, the education and training requirements are minimal at the most. Usually the best investigators come into the profession after being trained and educated by public safety and law enforcement organizations and have at least a four year college education.

As shown on our "Staff" page, The Hawkins Group is comprised of individuals with at least one college degree and who have been trained in investigative techniques at the foremost law enforcement training institution in the country, the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC). The FLETC trains investigators from such agencies as the Secret Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the Internal Revenue Service, Customs, Immigration, and every Federal Office of Inspector General. Not only were the Hawkins Group principals trained at the FLETC, Mike worked there training thousands of Federal, State, Local and International law enforcement investigators and led two different training divisions. Janell also was involved in many of the FLETC training programs designed to train new and experienced investigators. Mike also holds a Juris Doctor degree and has practiced civil and criminal trial law for fifteen years. Our newest member, Jim was trained at the Washington State Patrol Academy which is one of the best of its kind in the nation. It is this blending of formal education and training with real life field experience that allows The Hawkins Group to provide our clients with the highest level of professional investigative services available.

Experience:

A second, but equally important factor to consider is the investigator's actual experience which has fine tuned and honed his or her investigative skills. It is the actual street investigative experience that allows the formal education and training to be tempered by real life experiences, taking it from theory into reality. It should be kept in mind that you are seeking an investigator. There is a vast difference between those who have a uniformed police officer/patrol background and those who spent their careers conducting complex investigations.

The Hawkins Group has this hard earned experience conducting all sorts of criminal investigations as Federal Agents. Mike conducted felony level criminal investigations ranging from Assaults through Homicides, Rapes, Robberies to Weapons violations. He has also conducted Top Secret Background investigations for the Department of Defense, espionage and counter-terrorism investigations in the United States, Panama, Spain, Italy, and Iceland. Janell has conducted large scale and complex white collar crime and fraud investigations in the United States. She has also conducted criminal defense investigations, domestic investigations and corporate internal affairs investigations as a licensed private investigator in the State of Georgia. Both of them are experienced in developing cases to completion and have experience testifying effectively in Federal and State courts. It is this vast experience that The Hawkins Group can bring to bear on your behalf.

Licensing:

In the State of Washington, everyone offering professional investigative services to the public must be licensed through the Washington Department of Licensing. You may wish to follow the link on the State Laws page to read the requirements one must meet in order to be licensed in Washington. If you do so, you will soon realize that the standards required prior to licensing are not that difficult to meet which means it is crucial that you delve deeper into a prospective investigator's background in order to evaluate his or her abilities. You can also use the link to the Department of Licensing to verify that an investigator is, in fact, licensed. Many people who have knowingly or unknowingly employed an unlicensed investigator have discovered to their dismay that the evidence discovered would not be admissible in court because it was the result of the activities of an unlicensed investigator.

Associations and Certifications:

Private investigators are sometimes affiliated with one or more of several organizations that pledge to the public that their members are following certain standards and guidelines. In the Pacific Northwest, three of the most popular groups are the Northwest Fraud Investigators Association (NFIA), the Pacific Northwest Association of Investigators (PNAI), and the Washington Association of Legal Investigators (WALI). (Links to these organizations are on the Links page). On a National basis some of the better known associations are the National Defender Investigator Association, the International Certified Fraud Examiners Association, the National Association of Legal Investigators and the American Society of Industrial Security. (Links to these organizations are also on the Links page). While such associations may be impressive, be wary of placing too much emphasis on an investigators affiliations and memberships. Most of these organizations have very little, if any, authority to strictly monitor or compel members to conform to certain standards or even expel the agency if it should become formally charged or impoverished due to complaints or legal troubles. Your best bet is to contact the obligatory governmental licensing authorities mentioned above to exclude prospective investigators.

The Hawkins Group principals belong to the National Defender Investigator Association, the Pacific Northwest Investigators Association, the Washington Association of Legal Investigators, the Association,of Retired Navial Investigative Service Special Agents, the South Carolina Trial Lawyers Association, the South Carolina Bar Association, the Investigations World Wide Association, and the National League of Licensed Investigators.  Our membership in these organizations is primarily to maximize our ability to network with other professional investigators and to seek their assistance in other areas of the state or country when necessary.

Ethics:

The Hawkins Group as professional investigators, seek only the truth in our investigations, whatever that truth may be. We subscribe to a strict Ethics Code as well as to the Canons of Professional Ethics required of Mike by the Bar Association. As an investigative firm we recognize that our future success can only be assured by today's actions and our resulting reputation for honesty, discretion and integrity.  We are committed to the statement by our First President, General George Washington who said "There is but one straight course, and that is to seek truth and pursue it steadily."

Conclusion:

Selecting and employing the right investigator for your specific needs is an important and often difficult task. The Hawkins Group is willing to discuss your situation and your needs with you without obligation. As professionals we believe that it is vital that you receive the best possible investigative services and if your needs are outside our areas of expertise, we will not only tell you that we should not handle your case, we will direct you to other investigators whose talents more accurately suit your needs. If you select us as your investigative firm, we pledge that we will provide you our best possible service on your behalf.

Finding the right private investigator/investigative firm can be an exhaustive and frustrating task, which sometimes leaves attorneys and other clients discontented. Due to the fact that quality investigators are rare, you may find yourself searching far and wide for a reliable company. However, I believe that if you follow a few simple guidelines, incorporate some common sense, and trust your instincts, your search, when concluded, will have been worthwhile and you will realize that The Hawkins Group has the highly trained and experience investigators to assist you.