Field investigators gather information for employers in various industries, such as law enforcement and insurance. They use deductive logic and people skills to collect information from crime scenes, witnesses, and references. They also work in the office to prepare reports and handle evidence.
A field investigator conducts field investigations on behalf of an employer. Field investigators can work in many different industries, from law enforcement to insurance. These professionals have good people skills and deductive logic skills, working with other field investigators and office workers to gather as much information as possible about a person or situation.
In the law enforcement community, field investigators are a very important part of the investigative team. They collect information from crime scenes, witnesses and references that may have useful information, preparing a report that can be combined with analysis of physical evidence to draw conclusions about the circumstances of a crime and who may be responsible. Field investigators can work for national security agencies that conduct investigations into suspected security threats, along with a variety of law enforcement organizations that do everything from investigating allegations of animal cruelty to solving murders.
Insurance companies also need field investigators. Insurance claims often involve events that need to be investigated on the spot, such as house fires or vehicle accidents. Field investigators can travel to the site, survey the scene, interview people and collect information that will be used to determine whether or not the claim is valid. The field investigator can also make recommendations on how much should be paid on the claim if the claim proves to be acceptable under the terms of the insurance policy.
Field investigators may also work for agencies that provide background checks, gathering information on subjects that may be relevant to a character profile.
A field investigator’s work begins with receiving an assignment from a supervisor, which usually includes a brief about the case being investigated. Some field researchers like to work with minimal information so they are not harmed before they get to the field, while others like to have more information about the background of the case. When the investigator is ready, he or she travels to the field, recording impressions of things observed with cameras and collecting physical evidence that can be examined in the laboratory.
A field investigator also makes contacts with people who may be relevant, making arrangements to interview them. Interviewing skills are critical, as witnesses are notoriously unreliable and can also present information in a biased light, requiring investigators to sift through the information they collect to find the truth of the matter. Field researchers can also consult with experts in the course of their work to put the information they find into context.
Although field investigators spend a lot of time in the field, they also have to work in the office. They need good communication skills to prepare written reports about their observations and the evidence they collect. A field investigator should also be familiar with protocols for collecting, handling, and transmitting evidence.
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