The role of private investigators in (pre)criminal proceedings

Detektivska dejavnost v Sloveniji je v primerjavi s svetom mlada gospodarska panoga. Kljub temu jo poznamo več kot dvajset let, pretežno se ukvarja z zbiranjem informacij in dokaznega gradiva za najrazličnejše primere. Gre za delovanje v skladu z Zakonom o detektivski dejavnosti, ki je bil prenovljen leta 2011. Zakonska podlaga za delo detektivov je dobra, a vendar je od posameznega detektiva odvisno, v kolikšni meri bo zakonska določila uporabil v praksi. Poleg tega je nujno potrebno dodatno usposabljanje oziroma specializacija za posamezna področja detektivske dejavnosti. Detektivi bi lahko pomembno vlogo odigrali na novih področjih in s tem državi prihranili čas in finance. Posebnega pomena so predkazenski in kazenski postopki, kjer bi lahko imeli ključno vlogo z zbiranjem dokaznega gradiva detektivi, ki imajo v skladu z zakonom za to tudi ustrezna pooblastila. S tem bi bilo ogromno kazenskih zadev rešenih prej, prav tako ne bi bilo tako pogostega zastaranja primerov. Za učinkovitejše in hitrejše delo na področju predkazenskih in kazenskih postopkov bi bilo potrebno ustvariti oziroma izboljšati dobro sodelovanje med detektivi in odvetniki ter med detektivi in policijo. Ob ustreznem sodelovanju bi bile bolj zadovoljne stranke kot tudi država. Ta bi morala zato prepustiti določene naloge detektivom, saj bi bile rešene hitreje in učinkovitejše. Detektivi bi morali poskrbeti za sprotno usposabljanje na področju dela v (pred)kazenskih postopkih. Za prihodnost je torej ključnega pomena naraščanje profesionalnosti detektivskih storitev in zaupanje državnih organov v slednje. V empiričnem delu naloge smo s kvalitativno analizo podatkov intervjuvanih detektivov ugotovili, da detektivi le majhen delež svojega dela namenijo za potrebe (pred)kazenskega postopka, kljub temu da imajo za zbiranje informacij in dokazov v (pred)kazenskem postopku v skladu z njihovim zakonom dovolj pooblastil. Problem se namreč pojavi na področju izobraževanja detektivov za potrebe (pred)kazenskega postopka, saj ni interesa države, da bi zasebni detektivi pomagali državnim organom v teh postopkih.Private detective activity in Slovenia is a young industry compared to the rest of the world. Nevertheless, we have known this industry for more than twenty years and it mainly deals with the gathering of information and evidence for a variety of cases. It is an operation in accordance with the Private Detective Services Act, which was amended in 2011. The legal basis for the private detectives’ work is good, but the extent to which the legal provisions will be used in practice depends on each private detective. In addition, further training and specialization for specific areas of private detective work are mandatory. Private detectives could have played an important role in new areas and save time and finances for our country in this way. Of particular importance are the pre-trial and criminal proceedings, where the private detectives, which have the appropriate powers in accordance with the law, could play a key role by gathering evidence. In this way, numerous criminal cases could have been solved sooner, and the number of statute-barred cases would be minimized. For a more efficient and faster work in the field of pre-trial and criminal proceedings it would be necessary to create or improve good cooperation between private detectives and lawyers and between private detectives and the police. This adequate participation would bring more satisfaction to the customers as well as to the country. The country should therefore leave the specific tasks to the private detectives, since the tasks would be resolved quickly and efficiently. Private detectives should take appropriate measures for the ongoing training in the field of work within pre-trial and criminal proceedings. The increase of professionalism of private detective services and the trust of public authorities in private detectives is therefore crucial for the future. In the empirical part of the thesis I have executed a qualitative data analysis of the interviewed private detectives and discovered that private detectives devote only a small portion of their work to the purpose of the pre-trial and criminal proceedings, despite the fact that they have the appropriate authorisation for gathering information and evidence in pre-trial and criminal proceedings, in accordance with the law. The problem occurs in the field of private detective education for the purpose of pre-trial and criminal proceedings, as there is no interest of the country for the assistance of private detectives to public authorities in these proceedings