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This question is about criminal investigator.
Can you become a criminal investigator without being a cop?
Yes, you can become a criminal investigator without being a cop. Doing so means working in the private sector instead of being hired by a department.
If you want to pursue a career as a criminal investigator without going through the police academy and working as an officer first, then your only option is to become a private investigator (PI).
If you want to work as an official criminal investigator (i.e., detective), however, you must first start as a cop, pass a test, and earn a promotion to detective through the department.
While you may not work to solve major crimes as a PI, you do have the opportunity to use investigative skills to help private clients. PIs are criminal investigators who work for their own clients rather than law enforcement agencies.
Most states require all PI detectives to have a license, and some require additional licensing for private investigators who wish to carry a firearm or provide bodyguard services.
PIs can help find missing people, gather evidence of spousal infidelity in divorce cases, and expose insurance fraud. They may interview witnesses to a crime to gather information for the prosecution or the defense in a case. Other investigators provide bodyguard services and perform background checks.
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