Working PIby Jim Casteel
Alabama’s regulatory board may be among the best run boards in the world!
That’s a bold claim, but read onward and tell me if you disagree.
The Private Investigators in Alabama formed an association like most States have but from the 1990s to 2013, this association, which was typically less than 30 members, tried to pass legislation to implement license requirements and eventually added the formation of a State regulatory Board. This Board would be run by six members who were appointed by various government officials, one who was appointed by the State Association and one by the State Bar. The board would consist of mainly Private Investigators, with the exception of one consumer chosen by the Governor.
We never knew how lucky we would get! The association members were well-meaning, good-hearted people who wrote legislation that was fair to the Licensees yet protected the consumer and established rules and ethics. The level of stringency was dictated by the minimum restrictions and burdens which could be imposed upon the people working in the field to effectively protect the consumer from fraud or misrepresentation.
The legislation was passed and signed by the Governor in May of 2013, and the Board was established.
The learning curve began as the board contracted with an executive director who would cover expenses until they were far enough along to begin collecting license fees and issuing licenses. Although we had no complaints with this executive director, after a few years she decided to move her career in another direction and left in the midst of the Covid-era.
The board members handled all Board Business themselves for several weeks while reviewing bids for contracts. In the midst of the Covid-19 shutdown, we entered an emergency contract with the Austin Group without really realizing what we were buying into.
We were glad to have the task of running the day-to-day lifted off of us and the job seemed to be getting done, but there was no significant difference from the way it ran with the original executive director’s office.
We were very proud that we were able to navigate through the transition in the midst of a crises as well as we did; the licensees never knew what challenges were overcome by this Board, but the Board members knew that the Guidance of the Chairman, Charles Knight and the dedication of our consumer appointee, Sheriff Derrick Cunningham was a major factor in the transition going as smooth as it did. While it appeared to be an easy transition to most, we saw them work through the necessary steps to transfer, store and then relocate files while maintaining all security standards set by law. We saw the efforts behind the setting up of meetings to review bids, keeping of minutes, handling of phone calls and emails etc. It was then that I recognized the value in two of the biggest assets we have as Board members: Chairman Knight and Sheriff Cunningham.
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When the smoke began to clear from the pandemic, the efforts and dedication of the Austin Group began to shine through. Business as usual was not the “usual” that we had become used to. The communications with consumers who had questions or complaints about a licensee, as well as the licensees and those seeking to become licensed, were the first signs of what we had really stumbled across.
Will Parker with the Austin Group handled most of these calls. He handled each conversation with professionalism and could not hide the fact that he was authentically interested in helping the consumer or licensee, but he enforced the rules and regulations. The oddest part was that he had such a genuine approach that, in most cases, he could explain the procedures, even when the outcome would obviously be negative for the caller, without the caller becoming aggravated.
After that, the sincerity and attentiveness and efficiency had not only the Board Members but the entire State Association of licensees (which had grown to well over two hundred members) impressed and grateful.
Over the next few years, the Austin Group continued to impress us all. There was a time when the company that made our license cards would take over a month to send them in; they said that it was more cost-effective to wait until there were multiple cards to print. Parker had made sure that the licensee had a letter and a wall certificate to show their active license status, but he knew that it was important to the licensee to receive an official ID card. Parker purchased the machine needed to print the cards (at his own expense) so that he could print them immediately. The licensee received the card faster, and the Board saved money.
Clair Austin showed her value daily, but her strength and dedication to the needs of the consumers and licensees showed the most when our legislation was on the floor and at risk of being pushed off the calendar. I’m not sure how many pairs of shoes she wore out on the floors of that State Building but her commitment to getting the legislation was not only relentless but successful!
This implemented the apprentice license and the Agency license. This served multiple purposes but primarily gave the Board the ability to better protect the consumer by:
1. Seeing that the professional they hire has at least some level of experience.
2. Assuring that when a consumer responds to an advertisement for an Investigative Agency, the Agency has some level of accountability.
It helped those wishing to get into the profession by allowing them to enter under a sponsor at age 18. And it brought Alabama standards up to such a level as to qualify for reciprocity in our neighboring State, Florida. Oh, did I forget to mention that they managed to get a reciprocal agreement with Georgia signed in the middle of the pandemic?
If it wasn’t for Clair Austins’ relentlessness, we would still be trying to get that bill passed two years later! This paid off and Alabama Private Investigator’s Board (APIB) succeeded in entering into a reciprocal agreement with Florida in 2025.
In many states you can’t even get a representative at the Board office on the phone; not only do they answer all consumer and licensee’s calls, but they also show up at most every meeting of the State Association and conference to answer any questions that the licensees have. Talk about transparency!
In rare cases, license issuance can take up to two weeks but is often handled within four days and renewals are usually done in 48 to 72 hours.
Licensees are subject to late fees if they don’t renew on time, but that rarely happens because Parker will usually pick up the phone and call the licensee to make sure that it hasn’t slipped their mind.
The list goes on and on, but I serve on that board so don’t take it from me, just talk to any PI out there who is licensed in our state, has had dealings with our board, or has attended one of our conferences.
With no credit to myself because I have no confusion about the gears that make it work: I am a member of national and International Associations and speak with investigators around the country on a daily basis and around the world periodically, I can truly say that APIB is one of the most efficient and effectively run Boards in the world!
About the Author
Jim is the current President of the Alabama Private Investigators’ Association, www.apianow.org and owner of Casteel & Associates, and currently serves on the state regulatory Board, The Alabama Private Investigator’s Board, www.apib.alabama.gov. Jim has also served on the board of the National Association of Missing and Exploited Children, as well as serving on the board of the National Council of Investigation and Security Services.
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