We investigate crimes, including burglary and theft. Crimes like these are usually reported to the police initially. However, common high volume crimes, such as burglary, frequently remain unsolved. National police data from 2013-2017 showed the number of suspects caught and punished for burglary had halved from 6% to 3%, with a total of almost 450,000 reported burglaries in the year 2017-18.
Private investigators also investigate more serious crimes, like murder and sexual assault. Again, this can be due to the victim’s dissatisfaction with police efforts or due to a case being shelved by authorities due to the passage of time and a lack of leads.
If a member of the public feels that police can’t, or won’t, investigate further, they may retain the services of a private investigator or detective. P.I.’s can follow up on leads and locate potential witnesses, suspects and stolen goods. The end of the police investigation doesn’t mean the case is over.