How do you find the right Private Investigator in Barrie and Toronto, Ontario, Canada

While you might never have considered retaining a private investigator in your private or professional life that may simply be because you weren’t aware of the broad range of services a private investigator provides.

Private Investigators are highly trained professionals with unique skill sets that assist you in gathering information for specific reasons. They are licensed and insured. They work closely with law enforcement and the legal community.



Surveillance is a big part of what a Private Investigator does

They know how to gather and protect evidence so that it is admissible in court. They are an independent third party professional not emotionally attached to your case.

There is a reason to hire lawyers, accountants and doctors. Private Investigators are professionals in the same right and in the proper circumstance they can be a valuable asset to your legal team.

How do you hire a Private Investigator?

So how do you go about choosing a private investigation agency that is right for your project? The following is a hiring guide published by the Council of Private Investigators - Ontario and you can download the full report here www.therenwickgroup.ca

1. Go to the Council of Private Investigators - Ontario website, the yellow pages or search online for Agencies or Investigators who specialize in the type of investigation you require. http://www.cpi-ontario.com/findapi/

2. Call your lawyer and ask for recommendations.

3. Consult with a friend or acquaintance that may have been in similar circumstances.

4. Identify three agencies local to you that provide the type of investigation services you require.

5. Prepare a written list of questions you are going to ask each company.

6. Confirm that the Private Investigation Companies or Private Investigators are licensed and insured.

7. Check the company name and individual license number on the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services.

a. http://www.mcscs.jus.gov.on.ca/english/PISG/LicensedAgencies/agency_list.html
b. http://www.mcscs.jus.gov.on.ca/english/PISG/LicensedIndividuals/licensee_list.html

8. Visit the agency office. It is required by law that all Private Investigation Agencies have a physical office address with a public entrance.

9. The business licence to provide private investigation services should be clearly displayed in their office.  Request to see a copy of their certificate of insurance.

10. Request to see a sample report format.

11. Make an inquiry to the Better Business Bureau.

12. Inquire about experience, education, training and length of time in the industry. What is their level of expertise in the areas of investigation you require?

13. Ask for client references or letters of recommendation.

14. If you retain a Private Investigation Agency insist on having a written receipt for any retainer/deposit you have provided and ask for the companies HST number.

15. In most cases a Private Investigation Agency will require you to sign a contract or agreement. The agreement should clearly state what the investigation will entail, provide an estimated budget, identify a breakdown of the costs associated with the investigation and include a proposed timeline for completion. If progress payments are required clearly define the deliverables prior to signing the contract.

16. Establish specific times when you will be updated about the investigation. Define if the updates are to be written or verbal.

17. Define the deliverables you will receive after the investigation is completed. Reputable Private Investigation.  Agencies will provide a full written report with details of the investigation, the time spent on investigation tasks (such as surveillance), and a detailed invoice itemizing costs associated with all phases of the investigation.

The Renwick Group is a private investigation firm founded in 1997 and is based in Barrie, Ontario. We excel in delivering our core Private Investigation Services in the most efficient, secure, and professional manner.​

Source: http://www.cpi-ontario.com/default.asp

The Art of Asset Searches

We are often asked about asset location and recovery services and what we exactly do, so here is a bit more information about the way we approach asset location and recovery.

The Art of Asset Searches

The art of locating assets is something that we at the Renwick Group have spent a considerable amount of time cultivating and perfecting.

Asset searching often starts with certain searches on the Interent and databases, but for the really in-depth work,  and the tough assignments there is no database available. It therefore takes a lot of original research and creativity to put all the pieces of the puzzle together.

 

We also have access to networks of Canadian, North American and Worldwide “sources” that we have developed over the years that include connections with other professional investigators and search organizations with whom we have worked for years.

 

So if you're looking for asset location and recovery services ... always find out if you are using asset relocation investigators who are relying solely on databases, if so, you may be missing out on finding what you need to satisfy your or your client’s needs.

 

As many clients soon realize, in the Canadian legal system, securing a judgment against a defendant, whether it be an individual or a company, is only half of the battle.

 

The second half is trying to find the assets to satisfy the judgment.

 

The Renwick Group is often asked to find bank accounts, stock holdings, real estate and vehicles or any other assets of value, sometimes the assets can be located anywhere in the world.

Our asset investigations can cover all of the following:

• Asset Tracing
• Asset Recovery
• General Financial Investigation
• Bankruptcy Fraud Investigations
• Money Laundering Investigations
• Embezzlement Investigations

The Renwick Group is a boutique private investigation firm based in Barrie, Ontario. We are focused on Corporate Investigation Services and getting results.  therenwickgroup.ca

City of Ottawa hiring private eyes for internal snooping

OTTAWA — The city’s looking for a few good gumshoes to take over detailed investigations for its corporate security department.

A posting on the popular government procurement bulletin board Merx.com says the city expects to need about 1,000 hours a year of investigators’ time. The posting implies that much of the work involved looking into concerns about the city’s own staff, including surveillance, background checks and working with the police — plus even administering lie-detector tests and sweeping for bugs.

“Support services such as polygraph, statement analysis, and electronic surveillance detection may also be required,” the posting says. The city will pay mileage when somebody needs to be shadowed.

The city wants a firm that can be available around the clock to put together teams of investigators within six hours, who can work in English and French. Neither fedoras nor trenchcoats appear to be necessary.

The contract’s to be awarded in March.

Read more: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/City+hiring+private+eyes+internal+snooping/7938571/story.html#ixzz2KeKDh2Fm

The Renwick Group is a boutique private investigation firm based in Barrie, Ontario. We are focused on Corporate Investigation Services and getting results.

Barrie, Ontario, Canada · therenwickgroup.ca

Trends in Pre-Employment Screening Services

The Renwick Group provides full pre-employment screening services to our clients.  We've noticed that this arera of business is changing rapidly, both from the applicant and employer sides, primarily due to new technologies being introduced. 

 

Here is the Wikipedia entry that helps to update us on new trends in Pre Employment Screening.

 

The Market

 

Larger companies are more likely to outsource than their smaller counterparts – the average staff size of the companies who outsource is 3,313 compared to 2,162 for those who carry out in-house checks.

Primary step will be to screen the resume from a list of prospective applicants. A preliminary telephonic or web based interview is held to identify the range of discrepancy within the resume and the interviewee. Such a move also helps to identify whether the resume is professionally written, elaborated or involve resume fraud. Further a series of resumes are shortlisted.

 

Financial services firms outsource the service the most, with over a quarter (26%) doing so, compared to an overall average of 16% who outsource vetting to a third party provider.

 

However, recent research by Powerchex shows a reverse in the trend. They found that in the 2006/7 period CV discrepancies had fallen by 31% to 13%.

Background Verification

Pre-screening background verification and post-interview background checks are two strategies that are involved in pre-employment screening. Pre-screening background verification is deployed when the even the interview will contain data or information which are vital for the organization to disclose. Such a strategy is used mostly in the Military, strategic industries and higher levels of employees. While post-hiring background verification occurs once the resumes are shortlisted for pre-employment screening.

Third party background verification firms allow candidates to screen their own backgrounds on basis of identity, address, references, criminal background checks, drug test, financial records, court record checks and driving license verification and to verify the authenticity of their resume. Such a strategy allows candidates to gain a preferential advantage as it reduces background check expenses from the point of view of the recruiter.

Male/female

It is alleged that men stand a higher chance of clearing the pre-employment screening than women. However equality of opportunity gives women an equal platform for employment as some firms like Facebook, Google insist the candidates not to disclose about their gender during pre-employment screening. This reduces gender bias during stages of pre-employment screening. Women are marginally more likely to have a discrepancy on their CV: 13% of applicants submitted by women have a discrepancy compared to only 10% of those for men.

Impact of qualifications

Graduates have marginally less discrepancies: 13% of their CVs contain a discrepancy compared to 17% of non-graduates.

Impact of seniority and age

Since Equal Opportunity or Equality of Opportunity is considered important and ethical in the job market, seniority of age is left to question in the preliminary stages of pre-employment screening.

 

However the age of the candidate can be verified from various documents that are mandatory to be submitted. However the recent trend is to follow the equality of opportunity to all the candidates at the preliminary stages of screening. Someone in a junior administrative position is 23% more likely to have a discrepancy on their CV than in a managerial role. An applicant aged under 20 is 26% more likely to have a discrepancy than a 51-60 year old.

 

The Renwick Group Provides Full Pre Employment Screening Services - www.therenwickgroup.ca

 

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trends_in_pre-employment_screening