Roquefort files.

[Matthew X]

Investigators want more access to private information
Canberra
August 21 2002
Private investigators believe they can do many of the same jobs as police 
just as well and more cheaply, a new study has shown.
The Australian Institute of Criminology report said investigators, who in 
NSW outnumber police by some 2,000, believed they should gain greater 
access to confidential government information to allow them to track down 
witnesses and debtors.
The profile of the private investigation business, prepared by 
criminologist Dr Tim Prenzler and investigator Michael King, said 
investigators believed they could provide greater justice to crime victims 
if they were allowed greater access to government databases.
The study said there were some 25,000 private investigators across the 
country, compared with 44,922 police. In NSW there are 13,614 police and 
15,800 investigators.
Forty investigators were interviewed for the study and all strongly 
favoured doing more work in the public sector justice system.
"Many argued that they could do a range of tasks, such as searching for 
missing persons, conducting surveillance, executing search warrants, 
attending burglary scenes or investigating traffic accidents, just as well 
and more cheaply than police," the study said.
Dr Prenzler and Mr King noted that the industry had changed dramatically 
over the last few decades, moving away from divorce work to concentrate on 
insurance.
That was facilitated by a new willingness of the insurance to fight dodgy 
claims and widespread use of video cameras.
But the 1992 inquiry by the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption 
uncovered a thriving trade in illicit information.
Private investigators acting for banks, insurers and finance companies paid 
substantial sums to public servants for unauthorised access to information 
from confidential computer databases.
That prompted toughening of procedures for accessing such information and 
penalties for improper disclosure.
But one third of the study respondents indicated non-compliance remained 
widespread.
They called for formalised access. Dr Prenzler and Mr King said that was 
worth considering in both the interests of justice and to reduce demand for 
illicit information.
"One possible argument is that at present the law is weighted in favour of 
people avoiding legitimate legal process," they said.
The investigators conceded they had an image problem, even though the 
industry had lifted its game enormously over the last 20 years.
"I think public perception is that 80 per cent of us are dodgy but in 
reality it's probably less than 0.5 per cent," one said.
AAP