Is It Hard For Private Investigators To Locate Missing People?

Posted by hasnain shah alam on January 6th, 2021

Private detectives can offer a variety of services, ranging from cheating spouse cases to finding missing people and undercover surveillance. However, the most prominent investigation that private investigators are entrusted with is finding people in the UK, who have gone missing or are in hiding. 

Believe it or not, you may come across circumstances where you might need to trace someone’s location. It could be for personal reasons, such as looking for a friend from the past, lost parents, or a relationship you want to mend things with. In such a situation, your only hope to help you with your endeavours is to hire a private detective.  

However, professional private investigators also have their share of challenges that they face when they are trying to locate a missing person. If you think finding a single person in a city or country, that is home to a population of millions is a piece of cake, you might be wrong. TV shows and movies may have made it look easy, but many hardships come in the way of a detective when they are looking for someone who has gone missing or is deliberately hiding. 

#1 The use of outdated technology

Surveillance is a challenging aspect of private investigation. Even so, it is the most important one as well. Without it, a PI can struggle to solve a missing person case with a positive outcome. If an investigation involves tracking the whereabouts of an employee, private detectives find the need to check the security systems installed in or near the workplace of the concerned person. However, it can only be worthwhile if stores, businesses, and other similar entities start using advanced technology. Many install poor quality cameras and security systems that make it hard for detectives to locate the whereabouts of missing people. Blurry, almost unrecognisable photographs and video snippets are close to no use in such cases, as they deter the efficiency of a private investigator. 

#2 The missing person has a common name 

When a private investigator is looking for a missing person with a common name, it is much harder to do the job. People with unique names attract much more attention throughout their life, as compared to people with common names. Therefore, to find an individual with an ordinary name, the private detective has to dig in deeper for some other relevant information like high school/college/university name, home address, workplace location, and details about their family and friends, if there are any. 

#3 Lack of public information 

A private investigator’s greatest tool to find a missing person is to benefit from public information. However, in rare cases, the person to be found leaves no trace of information behind. This lack makes it complicated for a detective to trace them. That being said, experienced private investigators can still find their way around such people. With the help of technology and years of know-how of this field, it is safe to say that a private detective can find anyone, no matter how skilled they are in erasing their traces. 

#4 Irrelevant information 

The key to a successful missing person case is finding accurate information about them. Even the slightest details, like birthplace, middle name, and year of graduation can make a difference in the credibility of the case. The information can become irrelevant due to many reasons. Maybe the person you are looking for gave inaccurate details about themselves intentionally, or you misremembered them. Nevertheless, you must give correct and as much detailed information as you can about the missing person. Not doing so will not only waste your detective’s time, but it will also result in the loss of your resources. 

#5 The missing person is unavailable on the grid 

It is common for people to stay away from the grid now. Due to privacy concerns and the fear of their personal information getting out in the open, many think relying on technology might not be as safe as it looks. While it might be true, it makes it harder for private investigators to find a person unavailable on the grid. That being said, with little extra details about the missing person, as well as by conducting thorough interviews, a private detective can still determine clues about the said person’s whereabouts, even if they can’t be found on the online network.

In conclusion, even if a private detective has to find a person with no trace at all, hopelessness is still not a choice. If you hire a professional, competent, and experienced private detective, they can find their way to the missing person.