Here at Anderson Chance, we have been using female private investigators ever since we started our private investigation business back in the Dark Ages.
Yet even today, women are still viewed as unusual in this business. Private investigators are traditionally viewed as men, but here at Anderson Chance we have always valued and appreciated the many advantages women can bring to the role of a private investigator.
Indeed, women often have the advantage over their male counterparts.
We thought that for today’s Blog post, we would introduce you to one of our most experienced female private investigators.
We sat down with “Annie” (not her real name) over our morning espresso and had a bit of a chat:
Q: So Annie, how did you become a Private Investigator?
Annie: I was originally in the Army. When I left I considered joining the Police, but an old friend of mine was working as a surveillance operative for a Private Investigation agency in London, and seemed to really like it. I was lucky enough to get a position.
Q: So your army training helped?
Annie: Gosh yes, I was actually surprised to discover how many other Private Investigators come from an Army background.
Q: What is your normal day like?
Annie: (Laughs) There is never a normal day, i guess some people wouldn’t like that, but for me it works. It does help to have an understanding partner though, as the hours for private detectives are not regular.
Q: So you follow people?
Annie: Surveillance is where I started, and I guess it is what I am good at. But I now have many years experience in all aspects of investigations.
Q: Is it just unfaithful partners that you follow?
Annie: No, surveillance is a useful tool for any investigation, and often is only one part of the complete case.
Q: Is this all in London?
Annie: No, not at all. The company investigates cases all over the UK and worldwide.
Q: Do you work alone or in a team?
Annie: It does depend on the job, but most of the time it will be me and one other, normally a guy, because it works better that way. Two women, or single woman seem, to be noticed more, whereas a couple looks more natural.
Q: So is watching people difficult?
Annie: It can be; it isn’t like the surveillance you see in the movies. You might have to concentrate for 6 or 7 hours on a doorway of a private club in the middle of London like I ad to last week. You can’t afford to look away once, and have to be prepared to move immediately. So it can be exhausting .
Q: Do people ever know they are being followed?
Annie: It is possible. But it is rare. I have only had one case like that so far. That was a matrimonial case. We were working for the wife. Unfortunately after a few days into the Investigation she told her husband that she knew what he was up to the day before. Unfortunately she didn’t tell us. So yeah, that was tricky.
Q: What happened?
Annie: Nothing really, it just became obvious that he was looking for the surveillance team, so we stood down.
Q: What do your friends and family think about you being a Private Detective?
Annie: I get all the usual jokes and stuff – as you can see, I am not very tall, so my partner calls me Inch High Private Eye. But no, generally people are cool with it, plus I enjoy it.
Q How long will you do it for?
Annie: As long as I can. As I say, my job is not just about surveillance. I do a lot of other investigative work.
Q: Such as?
Annie: Fraud Investigation, Criminal Defence work, Due Diligence, Background Checks, Tracing Missing People…this job gives me the chance to use all my skills, and I am lucky to work with some amazingly talented people.
Q: Many people would think that being a private Investigator is more of a job for a man. Would you recommend other women to get involved in the profession?
Annie: I guess there more male investigators than female, but as the jobs the investigators do change, it is bringing more females into the investigation field. But like I said it isn’t for everyone, regardless of sex.
For more information on the work we do as private investigators, and how we can help you, call or email us today, or have a look at our website www.andersonchance.com