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  • 19 January 2023 10:59 AM | Anonymous member

    January 20, 2023

    Dear CPIO Members,

    I trust this letter finds you and yours in good heath and looking forward to all that 2023 has to offer! 

    While I am happy to welcome new Board Members Andrew Robichaud and Jeff Crowley, I am sad that we had to say good-bye to James Winter, Manish Patel and Boaz Lapointe. They have all moved on to new and exciting chapters in their lives and I cannot thank them enough for everything they did for the CPIO and you, our membership!

    2022 was a fantastic year for the CPIO, perhaps even a pivotal year. Following on our successes from 2021, we have introduced a regular stream of courses from Toddington International (discounted for members); launched our own Note Taking and Report Writing course (free to members); continued with the monthly webinars (free to members); had two successful conferences (F.I.T. and Professional Development Day); and, of course, established the CPIO Designation program. As promised, we are now advertising to the insurance industry and other sectors, promoting the designation program, and asking the big question, “Is your investigator a CPIO Certified Professional Investigator?”

    We are excited to hear that members have been successfully using the designations to promote their businesses and add weight to their RFP’s. We have Agency Members that have fully embraced the designation program and ensured that all their staff are enrolled, which is tremendous.  For the first time in Canada, there is a three-tier Professional Designation program in place, backed by a solid training platform, aimed at making our industry more knowledgeable and professional in both practice and appearance.

    Like all professional designations, on-going educational training is required to both legitimise the designation program and to continue on our path of increasing the knowledge and professionalism in our industry. As outlined in the CPIO Designation Protocols, it is necessary for each designation holder to obtain at least 20 hours of continued professional education (CPE) per year. This total may be achieved by attending our webinars and conferences, although, it is hoped that you will avail yourselves of the courses we have arranged for your benefit.

    Former OPP Detective Sergeant Jim Smyth’s interviews are probably the most widely viewed examples of how to conduct an interview. His successes on the Tori Stafford case and with Russel Williams are legendary. It gives me great pleasure to inform you that Jim has agreed to conduct a 2-day Basic Interview Techniques course in June 2023, as well as a 2-day Advanced Interview Techniques course in September 2023. We are also expecting to have a Statement Analysis course this year, as well as other courses of general interest to PI’s, to compliment the ongoing Toddington International Courses.

    We will be continuing with our industry promotion of the Designation Program.  Keep an eye out for us at the various golf days and conferences this year, as well as in publications such as WP!

    CPIO membership cards will be sent out when you renew your membership. The first cards should be shipped next week. We are also exploring avenues that will allow us to use the membership cards to obtain industry related discounts (hotels, restaurants, rental cars, etc.).

    I have mentioned the Eugene François Vidocq in previous letters. Eugene Vidocq taught himself and was famous for developing new methods of detection and procedures to follow. We have the good fortune of being able to benefit from what he started nearly 200 years ago. We are investigators, we are inquisitive, we want to know, it’s in our very nature! With your help we can take the CPIO to the next level!

    I end this letter by sincerely thanking my colleagues on the CPIO Board for all their hard work and dedication. Without the team effort, none of this would be possible.

    Thank you for your continued support and stay safe everyone!

    Yours respectfully,

    James Meadway, CFE, CPIO-MI

    President, CPIO


  • 23 November 2022 12:54 PM | Anonymous member

    This is an important follow-up notice to our members about foreign agencies hiring private investigators.

    Please see the article below for the American perspective:

    https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/13/nyregion/china-iran-private-detectives.html

    If the above link doesn't work, then please view the article below:

    Iran and China are hiring private eyes to spy on dissidents in America | Daily Mail Online

  • 11 April 2022 2:37 PM | Anonymous member

    Please see important information attached.


     Need To Know_2022 04 07.pdf

  • 14 December 2021 1:45 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    The CPIO has been made aware that there have been reports of individuals using counterfeit licenses to apply to licensed agencies in Ontario. As per section 31 of the Private Security and Investigative Services Act, 2005, licensed agencies may only employ licensed security guards (SG) and/or private investigators (PI) and it is the agency’s responsibility to ensure that none of their SGs and/or PIs are working without a valid license.

    You are encouraged to use the online license registry to confirm the status of the individual licensee or contact PrivateSecurity@ontario.ca


  • 05 December 2021 9:58 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    December 1, 2021

    Dear CPIO Members,

    There is no better way to start this letter than to state that it has been an honour, and my privilege, to work with such a group of consummate professionals as the current CPIO Board of Directors. Volunteers, who over the last year, have given so much of their time and knowledge to benefit the CPIO and our industry. Thank you, Boaz Lapointe, Brian Zeng, Shelley Collins, Manish Patel, James Winter, Vanessa Greenblatt, Nino Calabrese and Martin Jaekel for your hard work, dedication, and continuing support. I would like to introduce and welcome Michael Sherrard of Sherrard Kuzz LLP to the Board, as CPIO Counsel. Michael joined us earlier in the year and has proven himself to be an invaluable asset. I would like to make special mention of the significant contributions made by Junior Williams, who stepped down from the Board earlier this year. Lastly, I welcome Nigel McCoy to the Board, our newly elected Board Member. 

    Last year, I said that the CPIO was taking the initiative to try and raise the general level of knowledge and the standard of professionalism in our industry. We at the CPIO felt that this was not only important but imperative. As I also mentioned in my address a year ago, Private Investigation Agencies, previously known as Private Inquiry Agents, pre-date what we now recognize as organized, investigative police services.  Despite this, it appears there has never been a recognised standard of training or recognition of expertise, exclusively applied to our industry. The CPIO is changing that.

    The CPIO has been offering educational webinars since May 2020.  During 2021, we introduced world class courses and designed a three-tier designation program, the post nominals of which are trademark protected. Over the course of the next twelve months, we will be introducing courses in Note Taking & Report Writing, Ethics & Legislation, Interviewing and many more. The purpose of the courses is to introduce a standard of training to our industry. New and seasoned investigators will receive recognized, relevant training, and only those who achieve 80% or more on their tests will attain CPIO Certification. Employers will know that a prospective employee with CPIO Certification has demonstrated a high level of understanding and the ability to apply the training they have received.          

    The designations are designed to promote excellence in our industry. Investigators can now aspire to an organized program of professional recognition based on knowledge and experience. From this point on, when a person claims to be a Senior Investigator, for instance, they will be able to proudly present their CPIO Designation to support their claim.

    Some of you will have seen representatives of the CPIO at events such as an OIAA Golf Day, this year. Attending events is part of a program to expand CPIO’s visibility within the insurance and legal industries. In 2022, we will begin an advertising campaign through media sources to promote the training and Continued Professional Education (CPE) offered by the CPIO. We will also be encouraging the insurance and legal professions to take note of the CPIO Designations and understand what they mean. It is our hope and expectation that CPIO Members will benefit from these initiatives and those with CPIO Designations will be recognized for their achievements and awarded work accordingly.

    Until the end of December 2021, any private investigator who meets the minimum criteria described in the Designation Protocols (available on the CPIO website) could be entitled to claim a designation though the Grandfathering clause.  I would strongly encourage any of you with the relevant experience to apply today by sending a resumé of your experience to info@cpiontario.ca with “Designation Application” in the subject line. I also advise employers to urge their employees to join the CPIO, so they too may benefit from the Designation program.

    It only remains for me to say that you can be assured that your CPIO Board of Directors will continue to strive to bring new initiatives and value to the CPIO and our industry in general. 

    On behalf of your CPIO Board, I wish you and your families a safe and festive holiday season!

    Yours faithfully,

    James Meadway

    President

    Council of Professional Investigators of Ontario.


  • 10 October 2021 8:52 AM | Anonymous


  • 13 September 2021 1:12 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    CALL FOR BOARD DIRECTORS

    The CPIO is holding its AGM on November 18, 2021. We are seeking candidates who are interested in being involved with a very active Board, particularly anyone with knowledge of  IT. You must be a current CPIO member in good standing and you will need three nominators (CPIO members in good standing).  Those who are interested, please reach out via email to mjaekel@cpioontario.ca, or by calling 877-313-7283.  The deadline for applicants is October 20, 2021.


  • 01 August 2021 1:55 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Dear CPIO members:

    It has come to the attention of the CPIO that there have been recent attempts by foreign secret service agencies to retain Canadian Private Investigation firms to conduct surveillance operations and/or investigations on people who have been deemed dissident nationals residing in Canada. Canada is not shielded when it comes to foreign interference and there are many creative ways that these foreign agencies are advancing their interests without our knowledge and sometimes at our own expense. We would like to take this opportunity to emphasize to our membership that it is highly recommended that you complete your due diligence and know who you are entering into an arrangement with when taking on new clients or new files from potential clients outside of our country or jurisdiction. We would like to reference the CPIO Code of Ethics located on our website as guidance for what is acceptable practice for our members. Should you receive any requests from foreign entities or even domestic that give you cause for concern, please contact your local authorities. The CPIO is here for our membership and is committed to bringing awareness and education to our industry, and industry professionals, as our profession impacts all of Canada in one way or another. 

    The following are the types of red flags to look out for when accepting work from a client, new or existing:

    • New client who was referred to you by someone unfamiliar
    • New clients who are vague on details as to why they need to retain you
    • New clients, or even existing clients, who are obviously intermediaries with limited knowledge of the assignment in question
    • New clients who prefer to pay in cash
    • New clients who want a “rush” job
    • A request that involves a political involvement or component
    • New clients who are outside of North America
    • Any request that does not sound reasonable

    This list is not exhaustive, and these red flags do not necessary suggest any ill intent.  They may suggest further due diligence should be undertaken to ensure you are not aiding foreign entities in obtaining information that they should not have access to.

    Kind regards,

    CPIO Board of Directors


  • 31 May 2021 12:01 AM | Anonymous

    The Private Security and Investigative Services Branch (PSISB) is responsible for licensing security guards, private investigators and business entities that sell or retain security guard and/or private investigator services in Ontario.

    Click here for Memo on preparing for a compliance inspection 


About

The Council of Professional Investigators of Ontario (CPIO) is dedicated to the representation of the profession of Private Investigators in the Province of Ontario, through the development and application of industry training, professional standards, and code of ethics.

Contact

24-155 East Beaver Creek Road, Ste 166, Richmond Hill, ON, L4B 2N1

Email: info@cpiontario.ca

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