| 1. WHAT IS DISTANCE EDUCATION? Distance education (or home study/correspondence study) is enrollment and study with an educational institution, such as DTI, which provides learning materials for study by students at their location and time of their choosing. When each lesson is completed the student mails, faxes, or e-mails the Examinations and assigned Detective Field Work for correction, grading, comments and subject matter guidance by Art Kassel and his qualified staff. Corrected examinations are then returned to the student. This exchange provides a personalized student-teacher relationship. These exchanges can be via telephone, the mail, or the Internet. 2. ADVANTAGES OF DISTANCE EDUCATION Distance education is especially suited for busy people who wish to become Qualified Private Investigators. With distance education, you do not have to give up your job, leave home or lose income. You learn as you earn. DTI comes to you. You receive individual attention and can work at home, at your own pace. Students usually complete their training on an average of between 3-6 months but have up to 24 months to complete the program. 3. HOW DO I KNOW IF I HAVE THE CHARACTERISTICS AND TRAITS TO BECOME A PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR? Surveys administered to experienced professional investigators have shown that they all shared many of the same characteristics and traits. The results: a) Even at an early age they had a deep desire to become a private investigator, b) They had a burning passion, and always knew they would be good investigators if given the opportunity, c) They are curious individuals, able to figure things out on their own, and able to use a little deception when necessary, but, they are deeply honest and want to see justice done, d) They have the capacity to dig deep to solve problems, and can look past any deception, and e) they like to work with people, to travel, to search records, to learn the truth, and are students of human nature. When individuals with these characteristics and traits are coupled with the proven and respected DTI training program, they most often become excellent private investigators. 4. WHO IS THE DTI COURSE INTENDED FOR? The DTI course is designed for: inexperienced people who want to get into the profession, but have no investigative background or training. Experience has shown that detective agencies are much more willing to hire someone who has completed a investigator training course, especially DTI's program, than to hire an untrained person. Employees of security companies who want to upgrade their skills and learn the latest in private investigation techniques. Their goal may be either to move up within the security company or to prepare for the state's Private Investigator Exam and become a licensed detective. Licensed investigators who want to revitalize their operations and learn the latest investigative techniques, including lucrative new business opportunities. Retired law enforcement personnel or civil servants seeking a related productive profession that enables them to use many of their present skills. The possibility of part-time employment and the wide variety of assignments all add to the attractiveness of having great satisfaction in this new career. 5. ARE THERE ANY AGE RESTRICTIONS FOR ENTERING THE PRIVATE INVESTIGATIVE FIELD? ABSOLUTELY NOT! There is a need for private investigators of all ages. Students between 17 and 25 who exude with enthusiasm and seek excitement most often excel in the physical aspects of the job. They are most successful conducting surveillance, tracking fugitives for bail bondsman, repossessing cars, serving papers, etc. Students between the ages of 25 and 40 make up the majority of DTI trainees. They have prior work experience and are looking to change jobs, and now have more clarity and focus of their preferred careers. They are seeking job satisfaction and fulfillment, and want to pursue their unique blend of investigative skills and talents that they always knew they had, but never acted on. They can fill a variety of investigative positions because of their maturity and good communication skills. Men and women between the ages of 40 and 65 perform an important function in a detective agency. They have much wisdom and can clearly think through problems from many different perspectives, which gives them an advantage in solving difficult cases. They are excellent at locating missing persons, performing telephone pretexts, establishing vital contacts using good rapport techniques. Yes, DTI is Approved by the Council for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education in California and is accepted in all states as a qualified school. Mr. Kassel is a member of the AMERICAN LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAINERS SOCIETY, a nationally recognized organization for law enforcement trainers. 7. DO PRIVATE INVESTIGATORS REALLY ENGAGE IN THE KIND OF "ACTION ASSIGNMENTS" SEEN ON TV? Sometimes. But it depends on what area you specialize in. Some activities of investigative work involve more "action assignments" than others. For example, surveillance activities, bounty hunting, auto repossession, criminal arrests, narcotics investigations, undercover work and process serving sometimes involve elements of high tension, danger, suspense and physical force. On the other hand, activities such as record searching, interviewing witnesses and reconstructing accident scenes generally do not. 8. CAN I CARRY A GUN AFTER I GRADUATE FROM THE DTI COURSE? Possibly! Private investigators do not normally carry guns. However, if you specialize in bodyguard work you may need to carry one. In order to carry a concealed weapon, you must first obtain a gun permit issued by your local police or sheriff's department. 9. DO I NEED A LICENSE TO WORK AS A PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR? You will probably want to get a state license sometime during your private investigation career. However, you do not need a state license to complete your DTI course and you do not need a state license to work for a detective agency as a private investigator. Here are the facts: 1.) You do not need a state license to begin training as a private investigator or to enroll in DTI’s program. 2.) You do not need a state license to work as a private investigator in private businesses and corporations. Your title may be fraud investigator, retail investigator, corporate investigator, or a legal investigator (when working under the authority of an attorney). 3.) You do not need a state license to start and operate a detective agency in the following states although some may require a county license, local permit or payment of a license tax: Alabama, Colorado, Idaho, Mississippi, South Dakota, and Wyoming. 4.) You do not need a state license to work as an investigator in a private detective agency. As soon as you complete your DTI course (3-6 months) and can demonstrate that you are competent in a number of key investigative areas, you can immediately begin working in a detective agency under the owner's license. You can conduct the very same exciting and interesting assignments that licensed private investigators do, including surveillances, background checks, undercover assignments, insurance fraud, and testifying in court. In fact, many investigators prefer to work for an agency than starting their own. 5.) You do not need a state license to engage in process serving, on-line research, installation of hidden videos, and similar related activities. You will learn about these topics in your course. These businesses will allow you to perform many of the same functions as a licensed investigator, including conducting surveillance, serving legal papers, tracking down missing persons for process service, install hidden videos to protect children from abusive baby sitters, etc. These businesses will also give you the opportunity to work closely with other licensed investigators, clients, attorneys and the courts. Thus, you can immediately begin building business skills and contacts that will be very important later in your investigator career. WHEN WILL YOU NEED A LICENSE? Starting Your Own Agency: You will need a state license only if you decide to operate your own detective agency and call yourself a licensed private investigator. If you decide that’s for you, you will be required to apply for a state-issued license and meet the number of hours or years required by your state’s statutes, which is usually 36 months without prior experience. In addition, you may be required to pass a written examination. Unfortunately, neither DTI’s course, nor any other course, whether home study or classroom study, is sufficient to meet any state’s experience requirements. Although you may be tempted to start your own agency immediately upon graduation, there is still much to be learned in this intriguing profession. DTI strongly recommends working for an agency first to master your investigative skills and to prepare yourself to deal with a range of clients, including insurance companies, businesses and private individuals. You also need to learn how to conduct a wide a variety of investigations so you can meet all of your client’s needs and avoid complaints, which could put your license in jeopardy. Once state licensed, you'll be faced with the new challenges of running a detective agency: doing mostly administrative desk work, competing with other detective agencies, trying to get new clients, shopping for insurance and employee benefits, advertising, setting up a bookkeeping and case management system, hiring field investigators, paying bills, etc. That's OK for the future, but right now you have a golden opportunity to train with DTI and immediately begin working as a private investigator in a detective agency, insurance company, attorney firm, or corporation. You can quickly begin to enjoy a great career with a professional salary, independence, and prestige. To view your state’s licensing requirements, click here. After viewing your state’s requirements, simply click the BACK button to return to your original location on DTI’s website. 10. DOES DTI GUARANTEE JOBS UPON GRADUATION? No ethical resident school or college guarantees jobs upon graduation. However, DTI does have a good reputation in the industry and receive calls from investigative agencies throughout the U.S. requesting the names of our top graduates for employment as investigators. Detective agencies prefer to hire our graduates because they are highly trained in many areas of private investigation, which eliminates the need to train new investigators in-house. Be sure to complete as many Detective Field Exercises as possible in your course to ensure proper skill development which will make you more valuable and more marketable in the workplace as a private investigator. Additionally, a DTI Diploma can give you an advantage in the hiring process by showing the prospective employer:
11. CAN DTI HELP ME GET STARTED SOONER ON MY OWN? Yes, there are number of businesses you can start immediately during your training. These are related to private investigation and they do not require licensing. These include process serving, on-line research, installation of hidden videos, and others. You will learn about these in your course. These businesses will allow you to perform many of the same functions as a licensed investigator, including conducting surveillance, serving legal papers, tracking down missing persons for process service, install hidden videos to protect children from abusive baby sitters, etc. These businesses will also give you the opportunity to work closely with other licensed investigators, clients, attorneys and the courts. Thus, you can immediately begin building contacts that will be very important later in your career. Plus, you may be able to apply this experience to your state's experience requirement, so you can become licensed faster and easier. 12. HOW DOES DTI COMPARE WITH OTHER DETECTIVE TRAINING SCHOOLS? The private investigation field is exploding. An Internet search for private investigator training courses will likely yield you hundreds of choices. How do you make an informed and educated decision? Several of these so-called private investigator “schools”, “courses” and “unions,” offer unlicensed, unapproved, and even fraudulent training. And, if you’re unaware of their underhanded operating procedures, you could find yourself spending hundreds of dollars for worthless materials since many of these “training courses” use misleading and fraudulent tactics to lure you in. Only after you’ve spent your precious time and hard-earned cash, do you find out that they are not licensed, credentialed or certified to train private investigators. Although we dislike making disparaging remarks about our competitors, DTI has set the ethical bar high and feels an obligation to protect you, the consumer, from dishonest business practices. Therefore, DTI is providing you with factual information about other investigator training schools so you can make an informed and educated decision about your future. We also highly recommend you take the time to conduct your own research and investigation — so you will feel more confident that you made the right decision We are certainly not discrediting any qualified or reputable schools, and we further believe that competition is healthy in an honest and ethical environment but we do know of questionable training schools, courses and "unions" on the market and we believe you should too. GLOBAL SCHOOL
Global has had a long history — over 20 years—
DTI does not endorse,
recommend or approve Global School due to their continuous
unethical activities and poor reputation. "IPIU" — INTERNATIONAL PRIVATE INVESTIGATORS UNION
A
blatant scam that advertises phony job openings and
required its members to join a phony P.I. union and
pay a $89 fee for an FBI Record Check and FBI
Fingerprint Card which it cannot legally do. They
are currently being investigated by federal
authorities. Be leery of frauds calling themselves
private investigator "unions". There is no
such thing. "SECRETS OF TOP PRIVATE EYES - A PROFESSIONAL INVESTIGATIVE COURSE"
This school is not licensed, authorized or approved
by the Arizona Department of Education. It is only
marketed as a “course” and thus avoids any
structured school and academic requirements that are
essential elements when seeking a legitimate diploma
in the field of private investigations.
Don’t be fooled by exaggerated testimonials and
“slick” promotional tactics. They’re designed to
entice you to make an impulsive purchase. If you do
buy their materials for review and find them
substandard, DTI suggests returning the entire
package for a complete refund and enrolling in an
approved and professional training course. LOCAL COLLEGES & VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION SCHOOLS Are local college and vocational rehab schools the way to go? That depends on your particular needs. There are some fine local colleges and vocational rehab school that do an excellent job of teaching private investigation, and DTI totally supports their efforts. But, there are very few of them scattered across the U.S. and most are in heavily populated cities. The accredited schools can provide traditional classroom studies and have qualified instructors that can answer your questions in person. But, one must remember that these types of programs cost between $3,500-$10,000 plus travel and living expenses. DTI offers a solution to this. A professional home study program approved by the California Department of Education and a professionally recognized DIPLOMA. The same material you would receive in any resident course of study, and in many cases much better, along with the practical exercises that pertain to the area where you live and work. Why not attend a school directed by a licensed and practicing private investigator? You can have a top-notch education and a recognized diploma without leaving your present job, city and/or state and spending thousands of dollars. LARGE DISTANCE – HOME STUDY –P.I CORRESPONDENCE SCHOOLS
Distance education is exploding not only in the
United States, but also around the world.
Traditional and non-traditional schools offering
home study/correspondence courses are soon to be the
leading method of instruction for many working
adults. But, there are some big differences that you
should be aware of. DTI has a fair and equitable tuition and refund policy with no legally binding contract to sign. You can stop your training at any time, for any reason. DTI wants serious minded students who have the initiative to complete their training. DTI makes no employment promises to students, however, many established detective agencies across the country, who need to hire investigators, frequently call us for a list of our graduates in their geographical area. Your prospect of landing a job as an investigator greatly increases with the specialized training you receive at DTI. We’ll also provide your prospective employers with a letter of recommendation, listing specific items regarding the course work you have completed, if necessary. And, if your prospective employer requires a personal phone call, this can be accommodated as well. DTI goes that extra mile for its graduates. CRIMINAL JUSTICE DEGREES Many colleges and distance education schools are now offering 2-year degree programs in Criminal Justice. Although their curriculum contains facets on private investigation, their main emphasis is training on security, law enforcement, crime prevention, juvenile justice, military intelligence, airport security, corrections, homeland security, probation and parole, etc. As you can see, the field of Private Investigation parallels the fields of Criminal Justice to some degree, however there are many differences. In the field of Criminal Justice you are taught from a purely academic approach, giving you a solid historical and theoretical base, which is good, but you will not receive the practical investigative skills and techniques from which to conduct a thorough and complex investigation. Private investigation embraces far more than theory and although DTI applauds their efforts and quality of training, their courses do not specifically instruct on the special skills and techniques needed for today’s professional investigator. DTI has only one course, geared specifically for the for the student who wants to become a Private Investigator so if private investigation is your ultimate goal, DTI is the right choice for you. We offer everything you need to become a well-trained private investigator and you’ll come away from your DTI course work confident and ready to start your career. LEARNING FROM MANUALS AND BOOKS ALONE Much learning can be gained by reading—however, reading alone, without programmed and comprehensive instruction, coupled with practical field exercises and comprehensive examination of the material covered is not going to qualify you to become a private investigator. Book and manual publishers do not provide student services or have a competent faculty. Nor have they gone through an in-depth inspection by an outside examining committee to review their subject matter, like a state approved school must do. There are some publishing companies that have mislead individuals into believing that they’ll be trained as professional investigators by simply studying a few books and/or training manuals. This is the farthest thing from the truth! Reading books on specialized areas of private investigation do play an important part in your career development as a private investigator. After graduating from DTI you may wish to expand your knowledge in a specialized area of private investigation to begin building your expertise. There are many businesses that can provide you with books but DTI recommends the National Association of Investigative Specialists — NAIS. They offer the widest assortment of books and equipment for the private investigator. You will receive additional information on NAIS and their association when you graduate. 13. HOW DOES DTI's TUITION COMPARE WITH OTHER DETECTIVE TRAINING COURSES? When you compare the quality of training you receive versus the cost of the course, DTI is renowned for giving students much more value than any other school, and, at an affordable price. You receive two full, three ring binders containing over 1500 pages of training material to train you in all phases of private investigation. Yes, some schools charge more, and some schools charge less, but no one else delivers the most up–to-date quality program that DTI does. 14. DOES DTI OFFER AN AFFORDABLE MONTHLY PAYMENT PLAN? YES! For only a small monthly payment, you can start your new career and change your life! That's all it takes with DTI's new tuition program. You can start right now. Payments are easy and affordable. Payment coupons will be provided. Research has shown that students who pay under Plan A or Plan B, show a greater commitment to their training and are more likely to complete their programs and become qualified private investigators. 15. DOES DTI OFFER A SPECIAL DISCOUNT TO HUSBAND-WIFE TEAMS OR FAMILIES? Yes, both you and your spouse or members of the same family may enroll together at a discount. Here’s how it works. When you enroll, you will get the second course at half-price. You must study from one set of manuals, make copies of your Answer Sheets and Detective Exercises, and then submit them separately. But, you will each receive your own separate Enrollment Package, ID Card, and Diploma. We have found that couples and family members working together on field exercises do a much better job of developing their investigative skills and overcoming their fears since they have each other to rely on for support. To enroll, simply put the second family member’s name in the Comments
or Special Instructions box on the Application
Form and pay 150% for either Plans A, B or C.
You only pay for one shipping plan. 16. I AM IN THE SERVICE AND SUBJECT TO FREQUENT TRANSFERS. CAN I TAKE YOUR COURSE UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES? Yes. Hundreds of servicemen and women stationed throughout the world have enrolled in our course. If you are planning a career after discharge, now is the time to prepare during your off-duty hours. We will send your lessons anywhere.
17. ARE THERE SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS FOR FOREIGN STUDENTS? Yes. Because of the expensive shipping and handling costs, students are required to enroll under Plan A – Payment in Full, plus $100 for postage and handling. Materials are sent via Express Mail using a plain label (DTI Book Club) to avoid theft or tampering. Payment must be made by cashier’s check or money order and drawn on a U.S. bank. Credit cards are accepted from Canada and Europe only. 18. CAN YOU MAIL THE DTI MATERIALS UNDER PLAIN WRAPPER TO MAINTAIN MY CONFIDENTIALITY IN TAKING THIS COURSE? YES! Some students prefer to have their materials sent under plain label to avoid neighbors, family and even the postman from knowing that they have enrolled to become a private investigator. In the “Comments” section of the Enrollment Application just write “Plain label, please” and all your materials will be shipped under plain label. 19. I WAS ARRESTED YEARS AGO FOR A CRIMINAL OFFENSE. DOES THIS DISQUALIFY ME FROM ENROLLING IN THE COURSE? It all depends. DTI handles each case on an individual basis depending on the nature and severity of the offense and how long ago it was committed. We realize that some of the country's top detectives committed minor crimes in their past, but this has not stopped them from being successful today. When you enroll, you will be required to fill out a Personal Data Form. Be sure to include all the facts regarding any offense you committed. Or, before you enroll, you may telephone Mr. Kassel at (888) 425-9338 to discuss your particular situation. 20. DOES DTI OFFER MENTORING SERVICES? DTI does not offer any mentoring services but one of our top graduates, John Enger, a former Police Lieutenant and Licensed Private Investigator with many years of experience has graciously offered his services to our student body as a “mentor” to those who wish to participate. John has put together a set of training notes which will assist the student through each of the study units and will make every attempt to answer your questions. A warm welcome from John Enger: “I would like to introduce myself to you. My name is John Enger and I am graduate of the Detective Training Institute’s ‘MASTER DETECTIVE TRAINING COURSE’ and a former licensed police officer (holding the command rank of Lieutenant). I am also a successful licensed private investigator in the state of Florida.” “I have formed a ‘discussions E-mail group to help students with this excellent training program (Note: This is not a “chat room” – this is an E-mail address to me personally!). Looking back at DTI training, I wished I’d had someone to offer guidance and confidential tidbits of information to help me get the most from the course, and become a professional private investigator easier and quicker. There are also many ‘twists and turns’ and little notes of interest that I will enjoy sharing with you.” “To receive helpful information about your DTI training program after you enroll, simply send me an E-mail at RETIREDLT3@aol.com stating you wish to begin receiving the notes. Please include your name and phone number. I will attempt to answer any questions you may have in as timely a manner as I can.” |
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