OCCUPATION: PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR
Name: Eddie J. Gage Jr.
Company: Topline Investigations
Thumbs up: “Everything. Particularly the independence that being a private investigator offers. You don’t go to the same place and do the same things. You get to travel and see different parts of the country as well as different parts of the local community. And if one case gets boring, you can turn to something totally different.”
Thumbs down: “The only thing I dislike is doing research. There’s a lot of court research where you have to go through old case files. That’s boring. Some people find surveillance boring, but I can handle that compared to research. Plus you have to wear a shirt and a tie when you do research--surveillance you can do in shorts and a T-shirt.”
Next step: “As far as my career, I like it as it is. On the personal side, I’m helping the city of Placentia put together a youth program to help keep kids out of gangs and off drugs. I would like to see more career information available to minority kids; they don’t see their own people in certain jobs. Right now, I’m putting together an outreach program to do just that.”
Advice: “Spend some time learning English and report-writing skills. Go to as many agencies as you can until you find someone who is willing to help you. If you’re going to go to college, take criminal justice and report-writing (classes). Study cameras and how to use them. There’s definitely a lot of work in the field--particularly with all of the insurance scams. This is an especially good career for minorities, because there are certain geographic areas where people of color can be more effective.”
Salary range: $25,000 to $100,000 annually in Orange County.
Educational and training requirements: Must be licensed by the Bureau of Collections and Investigative Services to work as an independent investigator or to operate an agency; you do not have to be licensed to work under an investigator.
Size of work force: Very small. In Orange County, about 200 people work as private investigators.
Job description: To uncover evidence to help prove a client’s case or to refute another’s claim. Evidence-gathering is done in a number of ways, including placing someone under surveillance, taking photographs or videos and researching public court files.
For information: Call the state Department of Consumer Affairs, Bureau of Collection and Investigative Services’ 24-hour automated license information line at (916) 445-7366.
