Every aspect of the private investigator industry has been exploited by the media. From Sherlock Holmes to Monk, private eyes have taken on an entirely new persona. What is portrayed in books and in film rarely reflects the real experiences private investigators have on a daily basis.
In reality, the history and the very nature of private investigation is far different from what the average person imagines.
The term private eye was first coined by the logo of the Pinkerton detective agency. 
The Pinkertons began their agency in 1850 and quickly became an object of attention and folklore. It was, in fact, the Pinkertons who took credit for the mug shot, not any governmental branch of law enforcement. In other words, from the very beginning investigators stood independent of the typical law enforcement industries of the day.
The original definition and purpose of investigation agencies was to find clues and discover evidence that is easily missed by other crime scene investigators. Today, investigators follow in the footsteps of those before them with little deviation from the same script their forbears followed. A private investigator’s job description goes as follows:
Surveillance
Many private investigators are hired for surveillance on individuals who are suspected to be a part of crime or who may be up to no good in the eyes of their significant other. There is no limit to whom private investigators will use advanced surveillance techniques on. From senators to doctors, no one is beyond the grasp of a private eye.
Information gathering
To collect and gather information about individuals, organizations, or businesses. If the information is available, we can find it.
Finding missing persons
Many people need to find missing persons, for personal, financial or legal reasons. It could be family or friends that the customer has lost touch with, someone who has skipped town, or someone who has purposely gone missing. Finding missing persons is one of the most commonly requested services here at Melbourne Investigations.
Pop culture has it wrong when it comes to the reality of the job as a private eye. We don’t enter a crime scene and use our brilliant powers of deduction to instantly work out exactly what happened. Instead, we are hired by everyday people and businesses, to help in learning the truth about a relationship, person or business issue.
