Private investigators in Britain and America: Perspectives on the impact of popular culture

Abstract

Presents recent research on private detectives in the UK which raised fascinating differences between British and American investigators. Not only are these evident from analysis of their roles, responsibilities and histories, but also in cultural representations of private investigators in literature, film and factual reporting in the mass media. How private investigators are portrayed in the two countries raises interesting questions about public and private policing and differing attitudes to the politics of order maintenance. Explores private investigators’ British and American history, both in fact and fiction. Develops an original perspective on individual and collective approaches to policing and justice.

Citation

Gill, M. and Hart, J. (1997), "Private investigators in Britain and America: Perspectives on the impact of popular culture", Policing: An International Journal, Vol. 20 No. 4, pp. 631-640. https://doi.org/10.1108/13639519710192869