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The History of Private Investigators

Francois Eugene Vidocq

Private investigators have been around for more than 300 years. The idea of investigation for the private person began in Paris, France around 1833 when 59-year-old Francois Eugene Vidocq, a French soldier, sometime criminal and privateer started the first private investigation agency, "Le bureau des Renseignments" or Office of Intelligence. Before going into business, Vidocq did a few private investigations on his own, often disguising himself when following someone though the streets of Paris. His sordid past allowed him to understand the criminal mind and bring to justice those who had committed a crime.

Pinkerton

In the United States, private investigations began with Allen Pinkerton who became a detective after having worked in the Chicago police department for several years in 1850. Pinkerton is remembered in history as being the person who stopped an assassinations plot against the newly elected president of the U.S. Abraham Lincoln.

The Pinkerton National Detective Agency not only acted as a detective agency, but sometimes as security guards as well. In a famous incident, involving the Pinkerton Agency occurred in the late 19th century when businessmen hired the agency to keep unions out of factories leading to the Homestead Strike of 1892. Several people were killed by Pinkerton agents when they used force against workers who were striking for better conditions.

Pinkerton agents also tracked Jessie James and other outlaws including Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Later, the agency created the secret service to serve as guards for the President of the United States.

A more modern detective by the name of Jay J. Armes become widely known when he rescued Marlin Brando's son from kidnappers. Armes detective agency was The Investigators and The Investigators Security Force aimed at mobile patrols. Now the detective agency is involved in domestic government contracts and industrial security management, which includes industrial espionage.

Steven Farrell is the administrator of ReversePhoneLookup.org.

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