It is no secret that corruption is the order of the day in South Africa in both many of our state institutions and in the world of business, and the SAPS are battling to contain the problem, which has reached endemic proportions in some parts of our society. The latest SAPS crime statistics indicate that more businesses (particularly small businesses) are falling foul of criminals (+47.4% year on year). This crisis situation creates a necessity for intervention from Independent Criminal Investigation practitioners.  These entities can vary from one man operators to multifaceted, established businesses which are increasingly making their mark on the South African criminal scene; providing such services as polygraphing (lie detection), undercover agents, covert surveillance (cameras and vehicle tracking devices), bugging and debugging of offices and premises, forensic investigations, computer fraud and even close protection services (protection of personnel as opposed to assets). The process of choosing a private investigator can therefore be an intimidating process in itself, and requires adhering to a few simple guidelines – see “Choosing a Private Investigator”. For more professional advice on Independent Criminal Investigations please contact Justicia Investigations.