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- How to check the legality of a detective agency’s activity?
How to check the legality of a detective agency’s activity?
The demand for detective services is growing year by year. Therefore, there are more and more frequent cases of detective offices being opened by people looking for easy money who have neither a licence to practice the profession nor the necessary skills. If you do not want to fall prey to such a scammer, find out how to check whether a detective is operating legally and has the appropriate qualifications to do so.
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What entitles a detective to practice the profession?
According to the current regulations, a detective agency must be registered as a company and obtain an entry in the register of entrepreneurs performing regulated activity in the scope of detective services. On the other hand, it can be obtained on condition that at least one person authorised to represent the company has a detective’s licence.
The licence is essential!
Every detective who wants to provide detective services should have a licence. It is issued by the Voivodship Police Commander. In order to obtain the licence, fairly strict conditions must be met, e.g. one must be at least 21 years old and have secondary education, have no criminal record, pass psychological tests, and document completion of relevant training.
If you want to verify whether a private detective is qualified to practice the profession, ask him/her to show you his/her licence. A refusal may indicate that the person not only acts illegally, but also does not have the required predisposition to provide services and relevant experience.
Registration in the register of detective agencies
As we mentioned above, detective agencies must be entered in the register of such companies kept by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration. You can find it on the Ministry’s website. There is a free search engine there, with the help of which you can quickly confirm whether the agency of your choice is listed in the database. Most reliable and legally operating agencies also place an entry number on their website – you will recognise it by the abbreviation RD.
The absence of a company on the MSWiA list should be an alarm signal that you are dealing with an entity that operates outside the law. Using its services is very risky and may even expose you to serious trouble. In the best case scenario, you will lose money, but you may also later be called to the Police to testify as a witness if the alleged detective commits illegal acts while providing the service.
Legally operating detective agency - what else distinguishes it?
Every good detective is licensed and usually either runs his/her own agency or is employed by a legally operating detective agency. This is not all, however, as such people have no problem boasting their qualifications gained, for example, during various courses. Therefore, it is worth choosing the services of a company that places on its website certificates and certifications of training completed by its employees.
Another way to be sure that a private detective is trustworthy is to check whether he or she is listed as a member of the Polish Association of Licensed Detectives. This list includes persons with the relevant qualifications, but also distinguished by many years of experience and reputation.
Finally, it is worth clarifying whether the quality of services can be evidenced by their high prices. Indeed, reliable execution of orders requires expensive equipment and a lot of time, which translates into costs and therefore into the price list of services. However, this is not the rule, so a cheap detective may also be good. In Warsaw, you will easily find persons who will provide you with assistance at a reasonable price.
Remember - a good detective acts legally!
If you need professional help, use the services of a legally operating detective agency, which provides its services in compliance with the binding regulations. Only then can you count on your assignment being carried out in a reliable manner. This is particularly important if the results of the detective’s work are to be used in court proceedings. This is because only people with the appropriate authorisation know how to collect evidence so that it is recognised by the court.
