Editing Detective (section)

==Overview==
[[File:Leman Street detectives.jpg|thumb|upright|H Division, of police detectives, including [[Frederick Abberline]] (left, with cane), at Leman Street police station, of the [[Metropolitan Police|London Metropolitan Police]], two years before the [[Jack the Ripper]] [[serial killer|serial killer murders]] of 1888. Photograph circa 1886]]

Informally, and primarily in [[fiction]], a detective is a licensed or unlicensed person who solves [[crime]]s, including historical crimes, by examining and evaluating clues and personal records in order to uncover the identity and/or whereabouts of criminals.

In some [[Police|police departments]], a detective position is obtained by passing a written test after a person completes the requirements for being a [[police officer]]. In many other police systems, detectives are college graduates who join directly from [[civilian]] life without first serving as uniformed officers. Some argue that detectives do a completely different job and therefore require completely different training, qualifications, qualities, and abilities than uniformed officers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=How to Become a Private Investigator {{!}} |url=https://policeofficer.org/careers/private-investigator |access-date=2023-02-17 |website=PoliceOfficer.org |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-02-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230217172221/https://policeofficer.org/careers/private-investigator |url-status=live }}</ref> The other side says that a detective who has worked as a uniformed officer will excel as a private detective due to their knowledge about standard police procedures, their contact network and their own experience with typical problems.<ref>{{Cite web |last=thebrandleader |date=2018-10-02 |title=Do Former Police Officers Make Better Private Investigators? {{!}} Becoming a P.I. |url=https://investigativeacademy.com/former-police-officers-excel-private-investigators/ |access-date=2023-02-17 |website=NITA |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-02-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230217172212/https://investigativeacademy.com/former-police-officers-excel-private-investigators/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Some are not public officials, and may be known as a [[private investigator]], colloquially referred to, especially in fiction, as a "PI" or "private eye", "private ducky" or "shamus".

===Organization===
The detective branch in most large police agencies is organized into several squads and departments, each of which specializes in [[Criminal investigation|investigation]] into a particular type of crime or a particular type of undercover operation, which may include: [[homicide]], [[robbery]], [[burglary]], [[Motor vehicle theft|auto theft]], [[organized crime]]s, [[missing person]]s, [[Juvenile delinquency|juvenile crime]], [[fraud]], [[narcotic]]s, [[vice unit|vice]], [[criminal intelligence]], [[aggravated assault]]/[[Battery (crime)|battery]], [[sexual assault]], [[computer crime]], [[domestic violence]], [[surveillance]], and [[arson]], among others.

In police departments of the United States, a regular detective typically holds the rank of "Detective". The rank structure of the officers who supervise them (who may or may not be detectives themselves) varies considerably by department. In some Commonwealth police forces, detectives have equivalent ranks to uniformed officers but with the word "Detective" prepended to it; e.g. "Detective Constable" (DC) or "[[Detective Sergeant]]" (DS).<ref>{{cite web |title=Officer promotion |url=https://www.met.police.uk/police-forces/metropolitan-police/areas/c/careers/police-officer-roles/officer-promotion/overview/ |website=Metropolitan Police |access-date=30 July 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Become a Met detective constable |url=https://www.met.police.uk/police-forces/metropolitan-police/areas/c/careers/police-officer-roles/detective-constable/become-a-dc/ |website=Metropolitan police |access-date=30 July 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Dodd |first1=Vikram |title=Met detective sacked for racism has been reinstated and sent on leadership course |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/feb/26/met-detective-police-sacked-racism |website=The Guardian |access-date=30 July 2024 |date=26 February 2024}}</ref>

===Private detectives===
{{See also|Private investigator}}

In some countries{{which|date=April 2019}}, courts and judicial processes have yet to recognize the practice of private detectives. In Portugal, presented proof loses significance when private detectives collect it.{{clarification needed|date=December 2015}} Even under these circumstances, the practice is in demand and governed by a code of conduct.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://detectiveprivado.com.pt/index.php/codigo-deontologico.html |title=Codigo deontologico (pt). DetectivePrivado.com.pt (Archived copy). |access-date=2012-02-04 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120126215607/http://www.detectiveprivado.com.pt/index.php/codigo-deontologico.html |archive-date=2012-01-26 }}</ref>

===Citizen detectives===
A citizen detective, also known as an amateur detective, is an individual who devotes his or her time and expertise to aid in the [[Criminal Investigation|solving of crime]], without compensation or expectation of reward.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://billyjensen.com/citizen-detectives-crowdsolving/ | title=Citizen Detectives and Crowdsolving | access-date=2021-09-19 | archive-date=2021-09-27 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210927182341/http://billyjensen.com/citizen-detectives-crowdsolving/ | url-status=live }}</ref> Citizen detectives are [[private citizen]]s that have no real professional relationship with law enforcement and lack any [[rational-legal authority]] whatsoever. The reasons why a private citizen might try to solve a crime vary from trying to ensure justice for a friend or relative, a strong dislike for crime and support for [[Law and order (politics)|law and order]], or just recreational enjoyment. 

As with other kinds of detectives, citizen detectives try to solve crimes in multiple ways such as [[Search and seizure|searching a crime scene]], [[Interview|interviewing]] and/or [[Interrogation|interrogating]] [[suspect]]s and witnesses, doing [[surveillance]] on [[Person of interest|persons of interest]], collecting [[Evidence (law)|evidence]], acting as [[Source (journalism)|sources]] for [[News broadcasting|local news]], giving anonymous tips to the police and at times even making [[citizen's arrest]]s while a crime is being committed. Citizen detectives can also help law enforcement by becoming [[witness]]es for [[prosecutor]]s, participating in local [[neighborhood watch]] groups, acting as [[citizen observer]]s for law enforcement, or even aiding the police in searching for and arresting suspects as a [[Posse comitatus|posse]]. However, there have been cases of citizen detectives unintentionally compromising investigations if they lack real crime solving skills or even committing acts against suspected criminals that could be deemed [[vigilantism]] in nature.