Don’t Tell Me I Can’t… …become a private detective
Ali Harris took a leap of faith into an exciting new career
Chasing down suspects, tense stakeouts, and a car boot full of disguises. That’s what most people imagine when I tell them I’m a private detective. And although it’s not quite the same as it appears on screen, it’s definitely action-packed. I only completed my training two years ago, at the age of 49, and already I can’t imagine ever doing anything else. I love everything about it – the thrill of helping someone, the satisfaction I get solving a case – and, yes, even having to hone my acting skills now and then.
Not long ago, my life was very different. In 2014, I was working as a carer in a home for the elderly, but when my dad died at the age of 98,
I found coming to work reminded me of how much I missed him. I decided a career change could be the fresh start I was after.
My husband, Chris, 63, a civil engineer, and my daughter, Alix, 23, thought it was a great idea. So, in 2015, while still working to keep money coming in, I signed up for an Open University degree in Psychology. It was hard, fitting it in around shifts, but I loved it. Then I did another course on Forensic Science and Investigation, something I’d always been interested in.
Researching new career paths on the internet, I came across the option of becoming a private investigator. I immediately signed up to an online course by the United Kingdom Private Investigators Network, in 2017.
I learned surveillance techniques, such as how to find people on the internet,
plus the laws around investigating. It was a lot of information to take in and I’d study until late in the evening, but I found it all so interesting.
After I’d completed my qualifications, I decided to set up my own business. I created a website for clients and set my fees at £70 an hour. Soon, in July 2017, I had my first few bookings – most of them were to do with tracking down tenants who’d run away without paying rent. Then I had requests from people suspecting their spouse of cheating. I came up with a way of checking in on the suspected cheats without arousing suspicion.
One day, when a client had gone to work, I parked around the corner from her house and took a dog lead out of my boot. I didn’t have a dog with me, of course, but walking up to the house, I knocked on the door and changed my expression to look panicked. When a woman in a silky dressing gown answered, I couldn’t believe the audacity – not only were they sleeping together at the man’s home after his wife had gone to work, but the mistress had been brazen enough to come to the door. I managed to hide my disdain, though. ‘I’m so sorry to bother you,’ I said. ‘I’ve lost my dog – you haven’t seen one around have you?’
She shook her head and apologised, and I left.
Back in my car, I looked through the photos I’d secretly taken on my phone.
I’d got all the evidence I’d needed and sent proof to my client. Of course, she was devastated, but I was happy that she had closure and could move on.
My days are always varied: sometimes, I’m just at a desk, trawling the internet for people; others,
I’m sitting for hours in my car, on a stakeout. I’ve never felt in any danger, but I am careful about the jobs I take on and if it doesn’t feel right, I step away.
When an investigation does provide answers, I get a lot of satisfaction knowing I’ve helped a client make sense of that part of their life. It took a lot of training and hard work, and I’m still doing the odd exam, but my new job is fulfilling and flexible – and finally, at the age of 52,
I’m doing what I love.
✱ Find out more about Ali’s work at missaminvestigations. co.uk
‘I’M FINALLY DOING WHAT I LOVE’