An investigative specialist position in law enforcement is typically regarded as a thrilling position, but it entails a variety of responsibilities. The typical investigative specialist job description, for example, requires applicants to be familiar with surveillance operations, including the use of various types of recording devices. Investigators should also be able to use paper documents as evidence, which may necessitate a lot of time spent in the office or the library. This type of specialist, on the other hand, should be prepared to gather evidence outside of the office, such as during undercover investigations.
Surveillance and analysis of any evidence gathered during that surveillance are two of the most common investigative specialist tasks. This may entail strategically placing video cameras or wiretaps in areas where evidence for a case is likely to be found. Because law enforcement officials usually rely on hard evidence, such as recordings, to pursue a case in court, handling such surveillance is often considered a critical task. As a result, if recording devices are not properly set up and then thoroughly examined or analyzed, a suspect may be exempt from prosecution due to a lack of proof. As a result, obtaining and analyzing evidence using electronic devices are two of the most important investigative specialist requirements.
Despite their frequent use of technology, an investigator should be able to locate evidence using paper records. This could entail visiting a library to conduct research or rummaging through boxes of old records that have not yet been entered into a computer. A typical investigative specialist may also be required to examine case-related paperwork, such as tax documents, old letters, or computer printouts. The person in this position should be able to determine whether the information he gathers during the investigation is relevant to the case and thus useful, or whether it is unrelated to the case and thus useless.
An investigative specialist can’t spend all of his time in an office because he needs to go out into the field to gather evidence for a specific case. While investigating, this type of specialist tends to focus on one case at a time, so he may follow one suspect in particular rather than keeping an eye out for any wrongdoing as a police officer would. In many cases, staying undercover and blending in with his surroundings is required to avoid arousing suspicion from the suspect. Working in the field often means working odd hours, so this isn’t the job for someone who prefers a regular work schedule during the day.