Police investigators and other investigative occupations
High opportunity occupation
Career Overview
Police investigators and people working in other investigative occupations plan and co-ordinate investigations, follow leads, and collect information and evidence.
This group includes coroners and medical examiners. It also includes other types of non-police investigators such as those who provide oversight of law enforcement.
Job Titles
Duties
Police investigators:
- Investigate to solve and prevent crime
- Search crime scenes and collect physical evidence such as fingerprints
- Interview victims, witnesses and suspects
- Conduct surveillance
- Write reports
- Testify in court
- Attend autopsies
- Get search warrants
- Arrest suspects
- Share information and co-ordinate activities with other law enforcement agencies
Some police investigators study online networks and computer systems to detect cyber crimes or recover data. Some supervise and co-ordinate the work of other police officers.
Coroners and medical examiners:
- Investigate all sudden, unnatural and unexpected deaths
- Examine bodies to determine the cause and manner of death
- Determine the person’s identity and the date and location of their death
- Perform or order autopsies and other medical tests
- Provide information for criminal investigations
- Consult with law enforcement agencies, doctors and family members
- Issue death certificates
- Collect information on deaths to monitor trends
- Educate the public on trends and make recommendations to avoid risks
Coroners and medical examiners may also supervise other employees. Some may testify in court.
Oversight of law enforcement investigators:
- Investigate police officers’ actions to determine if they have committed an offence
- Interview police officers and civilian witnesses
- Collect and analyze evidence, such as video and witness statements
- Write reports
- Testify in court
- Attend autopsies
- Get warrants to seize evidence
- Share information and co-ordinate activities with other law enforcement agencies
Earnings
Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.
Work Environment
# Workers Employed
500% Employed Full Time
83%Investigators work for municipal, provincial and federal governments.
They work in offices, labs and on the scenes of crimes and deaths. Work hours can be unpredictable, depending on the investigation.
Investigators use computers to conduct investigations and write reports. Many also use specialized equipment such as 3D scanners for scene analysis.
Investigations can be stressful and demanding. Investigators deal with major crimes, traumatic events and emergency situations. But finding answers, keeping communities safe and serving the public also make this work rewarding.
Career Pathways
With extra training and experience, some police investigators become commissioned police officers. Others specialize in investigating areas, such as property crime, serious crime or homicide.
Experienced coroners and medical examiners may become deputy chief coroners or deputy chief medical officers.
Related Careers
Occupational Interests
It’s important to understand what kinds of occupations align with your interests.
For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.
Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:
Education, Training and Skills
Police investigators need a high school diploma. Post-secondary education is preferred, as is community involvement. Those who work in certain areas of investigation may need special training or certification and several years of experience.
Coroners usually need post-secondary education and experience in law, medicine or investigation. Medical examiners must be medical doctors.
Oversight investigators generally need investigative experience. Once hired, they may need to earn certification through a formal training program.
New technologies are always emerging, so ongoing education is key to this role. Investigators must continue to upgrade their skills to stay current.
Education programs in B.C.
The following program areas are related to this occupation:
- Business Administration/Management/Commerce
- Criminal Justice/Criminology
- Anthropology
- Economics (Arts)
- Geography (Arts)
- History
- Political Science/Studies
- Psychology (Arts)
- Sociology
- Geography/Earth Sciences Related
- Economics (Science)
Skills
Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.
Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.
See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Talking to others to share information effectively.
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Being able to solve novel, ill-defined problems in complex, real-world settings.
Understanding how new information could be used to solve current and future problems in making decisions.
Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Keeping track of and assessing your performance, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Labour Market Statistics
Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.
Employment
Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.
Employment
500Employment by Region
| Region | Employment | % Employment of this Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 10 | 2.0% |
| Kootenay | 0 | 0.0% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 355 | 71.7% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 0 | 0.0% |
| Northeast | 0 | 0.0% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 40 | 8.1% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 85 | 17.2% |
Labour Market Outlook
The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.
Forecasted Job Openings (2024-2034)
280Forecasted Job Openings
Forecasted Employment Growth Rate
Composition of Job Openings
Job Openings by Region (2024-2034)
| Region | Job Openings | Avg. Annual Employment Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | Not available | Not available |
| Kootenay | Not available | Not available |
| Mainland/Southwest | 220 | 1.8% |
| North Coast and Nechako | Not available | Not available |
| Northeast | Not available | Not available |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 20 | 0.4% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 40 | 0.8% |
Industry Highlights
Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.
Forecasted Job Openings by Industry
| Industry | Job Openings (2024-2034) |
|---|---|
| Public Administration | 280 |
Insights from Industry
Policing, civilian oversight and many other investigative fields currently have a shortage of workers, so people with these skills are in high demand.
Investigative work requires keen attention to detail. Investigators must be highly observant and careful in handling potential evidence. They also need strong problem-solving skills.
Resources
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BC Coroner Servicewww2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/life-events/death/coroners-service
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Canadian Police Collegewww.cpc-ccp.gc.ca/index-eng.htm
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Canadian Society of Forensic Sciencewww.csfs.ca/
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Independent Investigations Office (IIO) of British Columbiaiiobc.ca/
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Independent Investigations Office (IIO) of British Columbia – Careersiiobc.ca/about-us/careers/
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Justice Institute of British Columbiawww.jibc.ca
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Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) E-Division (B.C.)bc.rcmp-grc.gc.ca
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Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Careerswww.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/recruiting-recrutement/index-eng.htm