This journey for me began in 2013. I have a degree in journalism and have been writing for several local newspapers since 2009. I decided that while writing is fun there really is not much money to be made in it, unless you are incredibly lucky or know all the right people. I started to become interested in Private Investigation as a career choice.
I purchased a study guide full of different rules and materials that would help me pass the test in New York State. The test is considered one of the hardest PI tests in the country. So I studied it and studied it but life sometimes gets in the way and I never took the test.
Fast forward to late 2014, my 15 yr. old step-daughter who I have known since she was 4 years old, took her own life. This was crushing to my family and needless to say something like that makes you evaluate your own life and mortality. My step daughter was one of those people who literally could have been anything when she grew up. I know we tell every kid that but really there are few people who genuinely could be whatever and she was one of them.
I decided to take a serious run at becoming a PI in New York State. I called the Department of State and asked them if my experience as a reporter would be counted as investigative experience which New York State requires you have 3 years of. The guy said it should. So i took the exam and passed it on the first try. I paid the over $600 in fees and fingerprinting required to apply for the license.
Then came the application itself, it is a lot of work to put together. They need references and references and notarized statements etc. I sent all of this in and after a month they got back to me saying I needed to provide more information on my newspaper reporting and more references. I needed to send them 10 stories per year, hardcopies that I had written for the newspapers. That was over 60 stories I had to find, print, and put together to send out.
As for references I decided I should go all out. I got a reference from the local Police Chief that I had covered for the newspapers, I got a reference from a Lieutenant of the Sheriffs department and a colleague in the newspaper business.
At this point I had spent about $800 trying to get this license. Worth it though if I got it. After waiting another 3 months they denied me stating my reporting experience did not qualify as investigative experience. So I appealed. When you appeal you have to go before an Administrative Law Judge. They scheduled that hearing another 6 months away. Waiting, and waiting, and waiting. Then they say I can't have the hearing locally which would have been either Syracuse or Binghamton NY. Instead I have to drive to Albany which is a good 3 plus hours away.
When you appeal you can bring an attorney so I decided I was already in this far I wanted to go all the way with it. I found an attorney that had previous experience with Administrative Law Judges. He said my case was good and that he had never lost in front of one of these judges. Finally in March 2015 I have the hearing, I brought more news stories that I had written. I brought letters from the head of the Journalism Department at the College I attended where she explained how Journalism and Investigating go hand in hand. She even gave me a solid recommendation as to my character. I also got a letter from a guy I found online who has a PI firm in Detroit and his background was in investigative reporting. He explained how the two go together and how his journalism experience has been invaluable to him as a PI.
The hearing takes an hour, the judge listens to my case. They say we will send you a letter with the decision. My lawyer said it went great. Said it was one of the best hearings he had been a part of. He told me these judges take months to send their decisions out. He said to expect at least 3 months. So 3 months comes around and nothing. Fast forward to 8 months, and finally after my lawyer made some inquires into how much longer it was going to take they sent me a letter denying my appeal for the same reason as my application was denied.
After Lawyers fees and driving costs I am now $2,300 into trying to get this license that I've been completely denied of.
That is my story and I guess the advice I'm asking for is what should I do next? Right now I see only one option and that involves selling my house and moving to a state where I can obtain my license easier. Which means either New Hampshire or Washington state which are the two states on a list of about 15 states where I could get my license at this point and where myself and my wife would consider living.
Sometimes a fresh perspective can be of help so is there any other options that I am overlooking? Working for a PI firm to get the 3 years experience is out because the only thing I could do would be surveillance for $10 an hour and I can't afford to downgrade my job for that.
I purchased a study guide full of different rules and materials that would help me pass the test in New York State. The test is considered one of the hardest PI tests in the country. So I studied it and studied it but life sometimes gets in the way and I never took the test.
Fast forward to late 2014, my 15 yr. old step-daughter who I have known since she was 4 years old, took her own life. This was crushing to my family and needless to say something like that makes you evaluate your own life and mortality. My step daughter was one of those people who literally could have been anything when she grew up. I know we tell every kid that but really there are few people who genuinely could be whatever and she was one of them.
I decided to take a serious run at becoming a PI in New York State. I called the Department of State and asked them if my experience as a reporter would be counted as investigative experience which New York State requires you have 3 years of. The guy said it should. So i took the exam and passed it on the first try. I paid the over $600 in fees and fingerprinting required to apply for the license.
Then came the application itself, it is a lot of work to put together. They need references and references and notarized statements etc. I sent all of this in and after a month they got back to me saying I needed to provide more information on my newspaper reporting and more references. I needed to send them 10 stories per year, hardcopies that I had written for the newspapers. That was over 60 stories I had to find, print, and put together to send out.
As for references I decided I should go all out. I got a reference from the local Police Chief that I had covered for the newspapers, I got a reference from a Lieutenant of the Sheriffs department and a colleague in the newspaper business.
At this point I had spent about $800 trying to get this license. Worth it though if I got it. After waiting another 3 months they denied me stating my reporting experience did not qualify as investigative experience. So I appealed. When you appeal you have to go before an Administrative Law Judge. They scheduled that hearing another 6 months away. Waiting, and waiting, and waiting. Then they say I can't have the hearing locally which would have been either Syracuse or Binghamton NY. Instead I have to drive to Albany which is a good 3 plus hours away.
When you appeal you can bring an attorney so I decided I was already in this far I wanted to go all the way with it. I found an attorney that had previous experience with Administrative Law Judges. He said my case was good and that he had never lost in front of one of these judges. Finally in March 2015 I have the hearing, I brought more news stories that I had written. I brought letters from the head of the Journalism Department at the College I attended where she explained how Journalism and Investigating go hand in hand. She even gave me a solid recommendation as to my character. I also got a letter from a guy I found online who has a PI firm in Detroit and his background was in investigative reporting. He explained how the two go together and how his journalism experience has been invaluable to him as a PI.
The hearing takes an hour, the judge listens to my case. They say we will send you a letter with the decision. My lawyer said it went great. Said it was one of the best hearings he had been a part of. He told me these judges take months to send their decisions out. He said to expect at least 3 months. So 3 months comes around and nothing. Fast forward to 8 months, and finally after my lawyer made some inquires into how much longer it was going to take they sent me a letter denying my appeal for the same reason as my application was denied.
After Lawyers fees and driving costs I am now $2,300 into trying to get this license that I've been completely denied of.
That is my story and I guess the advice I'm asking for is what should I do next? Right now I see only one option and that involves selling my house and moving to a state where I can obtain my license easier. Which means either New Hampshire or Washington state which are the two states on a list of about 15 states where I could get my license at this point and where myself and my wife would consider living.
Sometimes a fresh perspective can be of help so is there any other options that I am overlooking? Working for a PI firm to get the 3 years experience is out because the only thing I could do would be surveillance for $10 an hour and I can't afford to downgrade my job for that.