About the ABI

The Association of British Investigators is the longest established organisation representing professional investigation in the UK. With the absence of any statutory control of commercial investigation in the UK The Association recognised the need for self-regulation many years ago and set very high standards to meet the criteria for membership opting for quality rather than quantity.

The Association began life in 1913 under the title “British Detectives Association”. In 1946 following the cessation of hostilities in the Second World War a second association representing investigators, then commonly described as Private Inquiry Agents or Private Detectives, was formed under the title The Association of British Detectives. In 1953 these two associations conjoined under the title The Association of British Detectives. In 1970 this association formed itself into the current body we have today,

The Association of British Investigators Limited was incorporated on the 31^st December 1970 to provide and maintain an organisation for Professional Investigators in the private sector.

As long ago as the 1952 The Association sent a delegation to the Houses of Parliament to lobby the then British Government for recognition and regulation of investigation in the private sector. However successive Governments have refused to deal with this issue and that has remained the case until recent years. In the mid 1990’s the debate on the regulation of the wider security sector was at last seen to be taken seriously.

The Private Security Industry Act 2001 introduced the mandate for the Security Industry Authority to regulate investigation. The statute defines the investigation activities as:

              4(1) ... to any surveillance, inquiries or investigations that are carried out for the purpose of:

              (a) obtaining information about a particular person or about the activities or whereabouts of a particular person; or

              (b) obtaining information about the circumstances in which or means by which property has been lost or damaged.

Since the late 1990s investigation has, through the efforts of The Association of British Investigators, greatly improved in professionalism. These efforts have met with success although there remains more to be done.  

The Association is managed by a Governing Council of no less than seven or more than 10 full members, all of whom are elected by the membership at its Annual General Meeting. The Governing Council (Board) holds regular meetings, a minimum of four in each annual period to aid the good governance of the affairs of The Association.

The Governing Council (the Board) membership of which is voluntary, consists of a President, elected annually by Board Members, a Vice President and Treasurer elected by Board Members and various office or portfolio holders such as Disciplinary, Marketing, Compliance, Enforcement, Membership Selection etc. who are appointed by the President. The Association has the benefit of a full time salaried General Secretary and a part-time assistant, who work out of The Association’s office in Blackpool.

Five regional branches, each with its own Chairman and officers meet on a quarterly basis. The meetings, which are each supported by local members, are used for (but not limited to) training purposes with topical investigative related presentations, up-dates on legal matters and a detailed presentation or report from the President or other Board Member touching on national and local investigation matters generally and which may affect The Association in particular.

The Association is non-profit organisation funded essentially by the membership annual subscription supplemented by the sale to its members and the general public of certain educational, investigative; legal and general information material. The finances of The Association are carefully managed so as to ensure a comfortable surplus of funds over requirements.

The strategic objective of The Association is to work toward the award of a Royal Charter, in order to become the Chartered Institute of Investigators.

There has never been a requirement in the British Isles for the registration or licensing of investigators in the private sector. The total number of investigators practising in this sector is unknown, or at best, an unscientific guess. These guesses have ranged from 3,000 – 20,000.

The Association has lobbied Parliament, MP’s and various governments of the day since the 1950’s. The Association currently has no power to regulate investigators in the private sector but successfully regulates its own membership with the aid of its Bye-Laws and Code of Ethics.

The Association’s form of self-regulation is twofold. In the first instance it is performed in its membership criteria, all of which is stringently checked prior to granting membership. The criteria requirements are as follows:

              (i)       A credit check to ensure any applicant and applicant’s business or businesses are clear of any monetary judgment or insolvency.

              (ii)      Any applicant is obliged to produce a Criminal Conviction Certificate (Basic Disclosure) which throughout membership must be no older than three years.

              (iii)     Any applicant or applicant’s business must be Notified as a Data Controller with the Information Commissioner’s Office.

              (iv)     Any applicant must provide two professional referees from whom The Association takes up references.

              (v)      Any applicant is interviewed by an Association selection panel and assessed as to membership suitability.

              (vi)     Production of proof of identity and residence is mandatory at any interview.

              (vii)    All applicants are required to sit an examination based on The Association’s Best Practice Guide which deals with pertinent laws on investigative activities, principally The Data Protection Act 1998.

              (viii)   Any applicant and (where applicable) applicant’s business must hold a policy of Professional Indemnity Insurance (PII) at the minimum level of cover determined by the GC (currently £250,000).

              (ix)    Applicant details are circulated among the membership to afford existing members the opportunity to advise the panel beforehand of any reason, supported by evidence, why any applicant may be considered unsuitable for membership. Any such representations received are fully investigated by the Membership Selection Committee.

The second part of the self-regulation process is the enforcement, compliance and disciplinary procedures, which include:

              (i)       A rolling audit to ensure members meet all the above on-going requirements, such as the Criminal Conviction Certificate being in-date, continual PII cover, ICO Notification is in-date, clear of monetary judgments and insolvency.

              (ii)      Random checks of members marketing material, (principally their web sites), to ensure services offered are within the restraints of Law, morally inoffensive, not misleading or displaying any unauthorised trade marks or suggestion of an affiliation with DVLA, The Law Societies, ICO or any other institution with whom The Association enjoys good relations.

              (iii)     A disciplinary process to deal with non-compliance or breaches of the Bye-Laws, which includes a members’ right to be heard.

              (iv)     A disciplinary process to fully investigate any complaint received about a member, with the right to be heard before a disciplinary panel and the opportunity to appeal to the GC, at no cost, any decision reached by the panel.