PPIAC to Hold PICC Training Event
- September 23, 2012
- by Kimberly Faber
- Associations
PICC Training
October 17th: 8:00 - 5:00
Antlers Hilton Hotel: Colorado Springs
RSVP - Space is limited
On October 17th, private investigators in the Colorado area will participate in a new training event called PICC. PICC is being presented by the Professional Private Investigators Association of Colorado (PPIAC) and will immediately precede the PPIAC Annual Conference.
For more information on PICC and what attending investigators can expect, PInow.com spoke with PPIAC Vice President of Training Tan Smyth.
What is PICC? What does it stand for and what does it include?
TS: PICC stands for Private Investigator Core Curriculum. PICC includes many opportunities for continuing education, networking and learning more about PPIAC.
Why is it important for private investigators to attend the Private Investigator Core Curriculum session?
TS: Continuing Education is incredibly important in this profession. If you don’t keep up with the technological progression, the current trend in industry-affecting laws and new methods of working your cases, your work and clients will suffer for the gaps in your knowledge. PICC is meant to demonstrate to investigators that not only are there opportunities to improve yourself, but also that increasing your knowledge among your peers can be fun.
What is the PPIAC hoping to accomplish with PICC?
TS: The PPIAC is hoping that by opening the doors with PICC, we can demonstrate the wealth of knowledge that is available, right here in Colorado. PICC is open for investigators and those people that are interested in becoming investigators; everyone will be able to take away some new knowledge after attending. PICC is also important for getting word out about the PPIAC: we want people to find out more about us, and what a huge benefit it is to be a part of the association.
What issues and problems will PICC cover?
TS:
- Legalities - Many of the issues that often come up in the field of investigations are the changes to the laws governing access to information. We’ll be looking at the federal law that regulates our access and examine the current trends.
- Safety - The issue of safety is always a concern; in the past few years there many investigators have been hurt on the job. We’ll be looking at ways of preventing such occurrences.
What types of training will be covered in PICC?
TS: We’ve got five broad areas that nearly every investigator should know:
- Marketing your business
- Investigator Safety
- Database use
- How to Skip Trace, and
- FCRA and Permissible Uses.
Why is training such a large initiative for PPIAC?
TS: Colorado is in a pretty unique place right now. A volunteer license means that people interested in upholdING their status need to maintain a certain number of hours of education. However, for over 35 years, Colorado has had no accountability, no standards by way of training to become an investigator. Aside from accredited colleges that presented a degree or various law enforcement careers, there was previously no official way of determining when a person actually advanced to the role of an investigator. Right now, there still isn't--although we are closer than we were in the past.
Training continues to assist people in maintaining up-to-date instruction, so they may continue to progress in their careers. Well-educated investigators mean that they are maintaining the best way of conducting business for their clients. Professional investigators are skilled, qualified and dedicated to providing their clients with the most relevant methods available. There is no downside to being professional. We, the Professional Private Investigators Association of Colorado, strive to maintain the high standards that will benefit our members, our clients and our profession.
Is there anything else you would like to add about this training event?
TS: This training event is held a day before our annual conference We hope that if people enjoy PICC, then they will consider continuing on with the conference, because there is so very much more to see and learn!
For more information on the training, visit the PPIAC website.
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