Unfortunately, Hollywood has managed to give private investigators a really bad rap, creating an image of a rogue slouch who’ll do anything to gather evidence, including flouting the law.

This is not a true reflection of the hundreds of dedicated, passionate and professional private investigators in South Africa. These are men who have enough of an understanding of the law to know what they can and can’t do, in order to produce viable evidence that will stand up to scrutiny in court.

As for the question ‘are private investigators cops?’, the answer is no. 

Although many private investigators have a background in law enforcement as police detectives, and though it may seem that what they do is closely related, there is, in fact, a clear delineation between private investigators and cops.

Are private investigators cops?

If you’re in the process of hiring a private investigator in South Africa, it’ll help if you understand that there are certain boundaries that cannot be crossed by both the police and private investigators.

While cops are employed by the state, private investigators such as Jacques Botha and his team at King Investigators, are self-employed, meaning that they focus on certain investigations that are very different to those of cops.

Because the team at King Investigators are hired by private individuals, lawyers, insurance companies, corporations and more, they are able to focus on each investigation to the exclusion of all else, which is something cops can’t do.

Private investigators cover a range of investigative services that include cheating spouses, in-depth background checks, business intelligence investigations, fraud, employee theft and more.

On the other hand, cops are tasked with investigating crimes, gathering the evidence necessary build a case that can then be presented to a prosecutor, in order to put criminals behind bars.

Do private investigators work with cops?

Yes, they do. Although their focus is on gathering evidence required by their client, private investigators are sometimes called on to work on cold cases by family members. This is obviously done in a way that is transparent and in no way interferes with a police investigation.

It’s about cooperation between cops and private investigators, and not about undermining the police or hampering them in their investigation.

Sometimes King Investigators is called on by the police to carry out undercover surveillance and delve into the time-consuming effort of searching through records, in order to give cops evidence that will be used in a court case.

What private investigators can’t do

When a crime occurs, cops are able to investigate a crime scene, question any witnesses, canvas the area around the crime scene for evidence, and, if a suspect is identified, effect an arrest.

A private investigator is not privy to crime scenes, nor can they arrest a suspect, unless, in the process of their own investigation, they see a suspect they know is wanted, they are able to make a citizen’s arrest and hand the suspect over to the police.

After that, it’s all up to state law enforcement. It’s important to note that private investigators are not above the law! 

Because King Investigators are hired by individuals or businesses, this team of experts has the benefit of being able to devote more time and resources to each investigation, while cops are very limited in terms of how much time they can spend on crimes of a less serious nature.

Contact King Investigators today for results that are delivered with integrity and honesty, as well as with an absolute commitment to service excellence!

No case is off-limits for this team of consummate professionals!

 

The first thing that’s going to cross your mind while you’re wondering about hiring a private investigator is definitely going to be; are private investigators expensive?

Well, this isn’t an easy question to answer here, since the private investigator rates will largely depend on what your case will involve.

Private investigator rates are not what they may have been in the past, especially when you work with the team from King Investigators, who use state of the art technology to maintain a reputation for lowering costs and offering competitive pricing.

With a team of PSiRA registered private investigators on board at King Investigations, you’ll have the benefit of well over a decade’s worth of experience on your case, experience that creates the opportunity for this team of PI’s to tailor an investigation to meet your budget.

Are Private Investigators Expensive?

King Investigators don’t hesitate to offer clients a guarantee that they’ll be fully satisfied with the results of their investigation, and, they do it in the most cost-effective way possible.

These private investigators are there to help people in very difficult circumstances, driven by a passion to provide that assistance to all who knock on their door looking for the truth.

Your security and confidentiality is of paramount importance to this team of seasoned investigators, which is why King Investigators is considered one of the most successful investigative firms in South Africa today.

Factors that’ll determine the cost of an investigation:

• Whether or not the investigation will involve undercover surveillance.
• Whether more than one investigator will be required to carry out surveillance.
• The type of investigation that’ll be undertaken for you. The costs involved in catching a cheating spouse in the act will be different to those involved in rooting out employee theft, for instance.
• The duration of the investigation will also be a determining factor in the cost of the investigation.
• Location of the investigation and how much travel might be involved, especially in instances of undercover surveillance that would see the subject traveling, either in South Africa, across her borders or internationally.

Discuss private investigator rates at your first meeting with King Investigators

Whether you choose to meet with Jacques Botha, owner of King Investigators or have a confidential conversation with him via telephone, you’ll find that he and his team are absolutely transparent when it comes to discussing rates.

He’ll take the time to work through what your case may entail, and from there, it could be that he and his team of professionals can offer you hourly rates, a flat rate or tailor the investigation to meet with your budget, depending on your investigation and situation.

During your initial meeting, King Investigators will work with you to plan the investigation to meet your requirements. Depending on the type of investigation, its issues such as accommodation, travel and car rental that could push up costs.

Important to keep in mind is that King Investigators is founded on integrity and honesty, and, as registered professionals, you can be absolutely confident that you will not be ripped off! 

Speak to King Investigators to find out more about their private investigator rates, and how they can tailor an investigation to meet your budget and to deliver quality evidence you can bank on!

 

If you’re in the position of needing to hire a private investigator in South Africa and are asking ‘are private investigators legal?’, the answer is yes…but!

For a private investigator to be considered legal, he has to be registered with the PSiRA. Anything less than this registration could leave you in the hands of a fraudster, one who will think nothing of taking your money and giving nothing back in return!

In a case such as this, you’ll have no recourse to recoup your losses, or to report abuse of your trust by a fraudster posing as a PI. When you hire a PI registered with the PSiRA, you will have recourse to hold him accountable for his actions.

These fraudsters give honest, highly trained and experienced private investigators, such as the team at King Investigators, a bad reputation, which is undeserved, by a long shot.

Are private investigators legal?

The only way you’ll know whether you’re dealing with a bona fide professional investigator, is to check up online to find out whether or not he and his company is registered with the PSiRA.

Owner of King Investigations, Jacques Botha, is a registered private investigator with well over a decade’s worth of experience in the field, earning a reputation for honesty and integrity in an industry oft times polluted by rogue PI’s.

Jacques and his team of seasoned private investigators have enough legal knowledge to stand them in good stead, when it comes to being able to present clients with incontrovertible evidence that won’t be overturned in court.

The only way this is achieved, is by complying with the laws and standards as set out in the code of conduct for private investigators in South Africa, ensuring that evidence is gathered without using illegal tactics.

Protecting the client during an investigation

Whether your case involves a cheating spouse or a business partner defrauding your company, the team at King Investigators is dedicated to protecting every client during an investigation.

Confidentiality is a given with this team, which gives you the peace of mind that comes with knowing that you’re dealing with a true professional, one who knows exactly what he’s doing on your behalf.

There are no shortcuts!

If you’ve chosen to hire King Investigators, you’ll find that this team is committed to doing things the right way, without taking risky shortcuts that could leave you with tainted evidence.

If, in your search for a reputable PI you come across those that’ll take the shady route to gathering evidence, move on, especially if he offers to tap someone’s phone or invade the privacy of a person under surveillance.

As undercover surveillance experts, the team at King Investigators are able to play many roles, which allows them to observe the subject under investigation without getting caught at it, which could put their client at risk of exposure.

Trust King Investigators to protect your interests!

Considering that many top law firms, corporations, insurance companies and international clients trust this team with their investigations, you could not be in safer hands than those of Jacques and his team at King Investigators!

Contact King Investigators today to make sure you have nothing but the best PI’s on your side, passionately committed to your safety and requirements.

 

Instead of asking the question ‘are private investigators worth it?’, ask yourself how valuable the truth is to you, whether in your personal or business capacity?

If getting to the truth is important to you in a civil or criminal case, or for purely personal reasons, then hiring a private investigator is most certainly worth it.

As one example, if you suspect that an employee is stealing from your company, a private investigator can help you to gather all the proof you need to take legal action against the perpetrator.

You can’t just accuse an employee of theft, whether it’s theft of company goods, fraud or company time for that matter, you need to have proof before you can do anything about it.

Are private investigators worth it?

Because of the many roles, an experienced private investigator has to play in conducting undercover surveillance safely, combing through public and court records to follow paper trails, gathering information on a cheating spouse and many other forms of investigations, a well-respected PI is definitely worth hiring.

Some PI’s specialize in only one sphere of investigations, such as those that stick to providing proof of insurance fraud, however, with an investigations company such as King Investigators, you’ll be dealing with a full-service team able to tackle any case you need help with.

For instance, if you suspect infidelity and are headed for a divorce, King Investigators not only gather evidence on the cheating spouse, they are also able to disseminate information that could lead to uncovering assets that are being hidden by the spouse in question.

Important questions to ask before you hire a private investigator:

• Is he licensed with the PSiRA?
• Ask about his background, such as whether he was in law enforcement prior to becoming a private investigator. This will really count in your favour, because he’ll know exactly which lines not to cross during an investigation.
• How long has he been in business?
• Can he provide you with testimonials?
• Is he open and upfront about discussing the financial aspects that may be involved in the case? If he’s cagey about rates, you’d be best served by finding another investigator!
• Can he give you examples of the type of report you can expect at the conclusion of the investigation, such as a written report along with photos and videos?
• Does he have the experience necessary to investigate your type of case, whether personal or business-related? 
• Has he developed an extensive network of other professionals in related industries?
• Will he be in close contact with you during the investigation? The last thing you want during this period is to be left in the dark!

One important question to ask yourself on speaking to and/or meeting the PI:

Do you feel comfortable with him? Your sixth sense is a pretty good indication of whether or not you’re going to be comfortable about opening up about confidential issues with the investigator you’re interviewing, so trust it.

Contact King Investigators for peace of mind!

King Investigators is headed by owner Jacques Botha, a fully licensed private investigator with extensive experience, locally and internationally. 

He and his team of professionals have such an incredibly broad range of investigative experience under their collective belts, that there are few cases this team can’t tackle!

Contact Jacques today for a free confidential consultation that will give you a good indication of how comfortable you’ll be with him and his team. 

You’ll also be put completely at ease by how much King Investigators puts into working within your budget, while still delivering quality results without wasting your time or money!