Real Detective work is vastly different from what is written about in books or seen in the movies. Some writers do a ride-along with their local police. You can visit medical examiner’s office or you might go through the citizen’s police academy. For the most part, authors interview, research and read about the experience from their safe offices. Don’t get me wrong there is nothing that says you have to be an actual detective to write about a character who is one. But we have all heard that you should write about what you know. Can you really know what it is like to solve a crime if you haven’t done it yourself? Well, there is always YouTube, of course.
I guess it really depends on you, your writing style and what your readers would like to read. If you are just starting out and know that you want to write stories about being a police officer, private investigator or even an FBI agent it would be more believable if you have experienced first hand how the job is done, how they handle investigations and even some of the perks and stresses of the jobs. Other than spending the time actually attending a police academy and working as a police officer for a few years the next best thing would be to meet those already doing the jobs. Shadowing a public or private investigator can be fun but you will have to sign some waiver forms, be willing to obey the rules and keep out of the way should anything bad happens.
Attending a local police academy for writers
Another thing you might want to consider is big city versus small county police forces. If you live in a rural area you might have a better chance of getting the local police chief to agree to let you ride along without any formal training. Bigger city police forces, generally, want you to at least go through an abbreviated police academy like their volunteers have to attend. Some offer free classes and others require that you pay for them. You will have to contact them in person to find out what their requirements are. Once, you have graduated from one of these classes you will have gained the knowledge and experience for the police to treat you as a rookie. Just think how authentic your writing will become as you experience more and more police work and procedures.
Shadowing a Real PI
You can contact one or two of your local private investigators offices. Most are located in the big cities as that is where most of the customers will be. There are even large agencies that may be willing to allow you to visit them for a day or two. You might even be able to get your local Sisters in Crime chapter to recruit a couple to come in and speak to your group. These are valuable contacts and will offer you the opportunity to arrange some future interviews. Possibly even shadow them for the day or week. This experience will be great for the old creative juices. Especially if you are serious about writing believable stories. Check out the agency with your state licensing commission prior to any contact. If they charge for this service you will want to know that this is a reputable agency. Here is a website you might want to review as well – https://www.ipiu.org/
Please remember to always be polite, follow procedures and be respectful to all those you meet while training, riding along, and shadowing. You just never know when you will need some help finishing a chapter or getting a scene right and the more people who know you and remember you doing your best the more resources you can call on when needed.
Good luck and we hope you will let us know about your experiences by using our CONTACT US form. We would love to share those with your fellow writers.
