The Private Investigator bill has made it through the second committee with a 10-1 vote to continue licensing in the state of Colorado. HB20-1207 was heard in the Transportation and Local Government Committee February 12, 2020 with overwhelming support for the continuation of licensing. 

Two days after DORA presented the PI Sunset Report in the House Transportation Committee and the committee voted 11-0 in favor of allowing a bill to be drafted, the PPIAC Legislative Committee is pleased to announce that last week a bill was introduced in the Colorado Legislature. Of note, the bill makes little changes to the current law. Also of note, the bill has received bi-partisan sponsorship, including bi-partisan Prime sponsorship! It is very significant to have bi-partisan sponsorship and a total of 6 sponsors.

This change in momentum is very encouraging considering how dismayed we were when we first read DORA's recommendation. We got a great jump out of the starting blocks. However, we also know there's still a long race ahead with many more hurdles to go. 

Also, PPIAC has received an overwhelming amount of support from the profession around the country and even internationally. Groups such as NCISS, NALI, IASIR and WAPI have all expressed support for a continuation of Colorado's PI license. Also, our President is reaching out to every state's association to obtain letters of support, with many already having been received. The goal is to have EVERY state with PI licensing and even those without to express their support for Colorado. PPIAC has letters of support from many individual PIs from around the country and attorneys. In short, the early successes of this process are a testament to the collective efforts of consumers, PIs, a fantastic lobbyist and sponsors in the Legislature including the first to offer support, Representative Melton, to see this through. Let's keep the momentum going to ensure the continuation of licensing in this wonderful state.

Here is the link to the bill:

https://statebillinfo.com/bills/bills/20/2020a_1207_01.pdf

Colorado Investigative Development Institute (CIDI)

Come join us and learn about private investigations!

April 3-4, 2020, 8:15 am - 5 pm

PPIAC Members : $325.00

GUESTS : $375.00

Are you considering the field of private investigations? Are you a PI and looking to enhance your skillset? PPIAC's CIDI is here to provide amazing education for incredible value. 

Presenting over 13 hours of instruction, networking, resources,

and valuable tips for your career as a professional investigator.

Learn from some of Colorado's most reputable investigators!

Held at the Lone Tree Rec Center - Oak Room (10249 Ridgegate Circle, Lone Tree, CO 80124)

(free parking, lunch provided, certificate, resources and handbook included)

Friday, April 3

 The law and the PI                                           Dean Beers         

 Ethics and qualities of an Investigator             Robert  Orozco        

 PI business basics/Marketing                         John Morris             

 Public records                                                 Marcy  Phelps         

 Case Management and Data Security            Ian Ricketson                      

 Skip-tracing/Locates                                       Steve Glenn                     

  Backgrounds                                                  Erica Davis                       

            

Saturday, April 5

  Surveillance                                                  Ryan Johnston              

  Criminal Defense Investigations                   Jenn Brown       

  Financial Investigations                               Rod Gagnon                       

  Report writing/invoicing                               Rod Gagnon 

  Interviews/Statements                                Tan Smyth                           

 Subcontracting: 

Client or Colleague/Properly vetting a case   Andrea Orozco 

      

CIDI COURSE LOCATION

Hosted at:

The Lone Tree Rec Center - Oak Room

10249 Ridgegate Circle, Lone Tree, CO 80124

CIDI Start Time:

Friday April 3, 2020 8:15-5:00  

Saturday April 4, 2020 8:15-5:00

Colorado’s private investigator license law was passed in 2014 and took effect in 2015. It is subject to a sunset review as are all other license programs issued by the state. A sunset provision repeals all or part of a law after a specific date, unless the legislature extends it. Colorado’s PI law recently underwent a sunset study by Colorado’s Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) and would be scheduled to repeal in September 2020. When Colorado reinstated PI licensing in 2015, there were only 5 states remaining with no state PI licensing requirements.

After conducting a nearly year-long study of the PI licensing program, on October 15, 2019 DORA issued a recommendation to sunset the PI license law. In their report, DORA cites the public is not protected from clear, understandable harm through licensure. DORA also cited virtually non-existent disciplinary actions against licensed individuals. DORA came to this conclusion based on their data, which has been compiled since 2015 and by contacting and obtaining input from several agencies, officials, and associations including the Professional Private Investigators Association of Colorado.

What does this mean for Colorado’s PI licensing law moving forward? PPIAC remains committed to keeping PI licensing program in place. For this to happen, a bill will need to be introduced in the 2020 legislative session. DORA, who recommended to sunset the program, will not work on behalf of the profession to recommend a licensing bill in the 2020 session. PPIAC will once again have to put forth this effort.

PPIAC has been at work for about a year to keep PI licensing. This work began by reaching out to DORA soon after their sunset study began, continued with obtaining a lobbyist with the specific goal of getting a licensing bill passed in 2020, and continues with several meetings taken place and scheduled with potential bill sponsors.

Since October 15th, many investigative professionals have expressed concerns of PI licensing being repealed. Consumers, the general public and private investigators across the country have provided PPIAC with specific examples of consumer harm and nefarious behavior from both licensed as well as unlicensed private investigators operating in Colorado. The initial feedback and examples of harm are greatly appreciated and will be used. PPIAC still needs your help! If you are interested in assisting PPIAC to keep licensing in place, contact the Professional Private Investigators Association of Colorado at https://ppiac.org/contact-us .

Colorado’s Private Investigator License is quite simple in its requirements: a person must be 21 years of age, must be able to pass a fingerprint background (both State and Federal,) must pass an open-book Jurisprudence Exam, and must hold a bond. Continuing education is not listed in the statute.

As a professional, it is highly encouraged.

Put simply, investigators are fact-finders. Investigators aren’t like they are portrayed in the media; they don’t skulk in bushes or break the law in order to get a dossier. They do not draw their guns and threaten people, and they don’t get into drunken brawls and then show up at court hours later to quip some smart-aleck remark that annoys the judge and attorneys, but impresses the jury.

Private investigators are fact-finders.

It doesn’t sound very impressive when it’s compared to the latest television series, does it? PIs often work with attorneys, which necessitates both legal and ethical considerations. Although it is not edgy and glamorous like the law-bending hard-boiled fictional PI, private investigators have the important distinction of interviewing witnesses, obtaining records, finding and retrieving physical and/or digital documentation, as well as testifying in court, conducting surveillance, investigating backgrounds, locates, and verifying data. These are but a few of the responsibilities of a well-rounded private investigator…and they all require training and education in both procedure and laws pertaining to the undertaking.

Even senior investigators should continue with annual training; trends in technology, applications, processes (as well as laws governing legal procedures) are constantly updating. To discontinue training would be to ignore the possibility of updating to a better way of conducting investigations; surveillance investigators would be missing out on better equipment and techniques to improve chances on their case. Open source internet investigators need to be constantly updating their skillset- accesses, sites, and permissions change so quickly that there must be redundant methods in place to obtain documentation for the case. Background investigators must be aware of the changes in Federal and State laws that govern their specialty; interview investigators must be aware of legal changes and vernacular, to ensure a more complete understanding of the interview subject.

Professional education is expected to have a cost attached; the returns of such an education can be counted on through many avenues: the client receives a product that is up-to-date with the latest techniques (and aligned with the legal guides), the investigator may receive more subcontract work from other investigators that are assured of the most recent and compatible ways of conducting business, and the investigator also has a building block in the form of the latest education from which to continue their training.

-Tan Smyth - PPIAC VP of Training