(Never Hire a Security Firm that Doesn’t Do PI Work)
Hiring a security company is an important investment for your warehouse or distribution center. You want to make sure you have a security plan (guards, surveillance, and loss prevention strategy) in place to protect your assets.
Outsourcing the task to a security company ensures your space is protected by the most qualified professionals. But no security company is complete without one critical role:
A Private Investigator (PI).
If loss prevention or workplace fraud are concerns of yours, a PI is a key person you want on your team.
Without the detailed work and insights of a PI, you risk not having material evidence to take legal action when it counts.
Bottom line: Never hire a security company that doesn’t offer a PI. We’ll discuss why, but first, let’s get on the same page.
What is a Private Investigator
A Private Investigator is an experienced detective employed to carry out investigations for individuals, businesses, and attorneys in civil and criminal cases.
What a Private Investigator Does
A Private Investigator uses a variety of techniques to gather evidence and analyze a situation. They might include:
-
- Undercover activities
- Interviews with witnesses, suspects, and victims
- Surveillance activities
- Research
Working as part of a larger security company or security team, a Private Investigator is a specialist charged with leading specific investigations. A PI will provide detailed documentation and reporting their client can use to take action.
Private Investigators are also prepared to testify in court and offer thorough answers.
How Private Investigators Benefit Your Facility
Provide Due Diligence in Important Security Matters
Security for a warehouse or distribution center can be a wide encompassing initiative. The security team must secure access points, set up cameras, implement processes for shift changes, etc.
Security guards are on rounds 24/7 to take care of daily security measures.
But who is in control when there is a security breach or theft?
A Private Investigator is skilled to provide the due diligence necessary to investigate and resolve such matters.
As the head person in charge, the PI will focus control of the situation and use expertise to conduct a thorough investigation.
Save Millions in Shrinkage Costs with Detailed Investigations
A Private Investigator or loss prevention specialist can save warehouses, distribution centers, and retailers millions, even billions, in shrinkage costs.
Normal security guards on duty are trained to deal with situations at the moment. They can secure access points and prevent a theft in progress.
But sometimes, goods and money are being siphoned from the company under the radar at a huge cost to the bottom line.
Private Investigators are the experts that identify the source of the problem so you can prepare a calculated course of internal or legal action.
One common issue with warehouses and distribution centers is the theft of grey goods. When you’re in control of products for a company with strict supply chain control, grey goods are important. Loss of grey goods can bring down the value of a product the company is trying to sell at a premium.
When grey goods go missing, there is often a larger operation at play. A Private Investigator is a specialist that can employ different investigative skills and approaches to identify the root of the problem. Not only do you put a stop to the issue, you have evidence you can use to prove it.
Bring Credible Evidence and Testimony to Court
If you want to bring a case to civil or criminal court, you need to come prepared with more than hearsay or he-said-she-said evidence.
Whereas a regular security guard might be able to provide eyewitness testimony, a PI can compile tangible evidence your lawyers can use to your benefit.
PIs know how to gather useful evidence. And they know when an investigation has come to a point where action can be taken. Knowing when is critical so you have the best chance of winning.
Along with evidence, a PI is skilled at providing strong, convincing testimony in court.
Hiring a Third Party Complicates Investigations and Reporting
Now, if your security company doesn’t have a PI on staff, you might need to hire one ad hoc. This option may raise complications of its own that could hinder your investigation.
First, it’s imperative that a PI works with your security program that is already in place. An outside PI will need to learn your protocols and get to know your security team. While these components can work together, there is always an adjustment period.
Second, from your operational standpoint, you now have to manage two security entities and reporting from each of those entities.
Choosing a security company with a PI on staff will smooth these friction points so the focus can be on the investigation.
Bottom Line: If Your Security Company Doesn’t Have Private Investigators on Their Team, They’re Not Worth the Money
Without an in-house PI branch, your security company is not offering you the best option.
A PI is a critical part of the security strategy for warehouses and distribution centers. Without one waiting in the wings, you risk a botched investigation, lost money, and failure to get justice.