The opinion of Elisenda Villena. Detective. Barcelona
Catalonia has played a fundamental role in the development and consolidation of the Private Detective profession in Spain. From its earliest days, the region has been a pioneer in the regulation and professionalisation of this activity, driving the creation of associations and professional bodies that have helped to dignify the profession and raise its profile.
From the Catalan-Balearic Association (ACBDP), founded in 1978 as a pioneer of its kind and the forerunner of the present-day, nationwide APDPE, through to the creation of Spain's first Professional College of Private Detectives in 1999, it has been Catalan detectives who have driven forward the profession's organisations.
With the mindset and conviction that unity is strength, and that collective groups gain visibility as they grow in numbers and organise themselves, Catalonia has always sought to bring the sector together, as shown by the fact that this first Association reached close to 500 members, more than half of them from outside Catalonia and the Balearic Islands.
Catalonia's industrial and commercial tradition, together with its entrepreneurial dynamism, has generated a constant demand for private investigation services, in both the business and the personal spheres. This has fostered the emergence of leading detective firms and the training of highly qualified professionals.
Moreover, Catalan universities have been forerunners in offering specific programmes in private investigation, allowing many detectives to train on a solid academic and ethical foundation. The collaboration between institutions, companies and professionals has made Catalonia a national and international benchmark in the sector.
Nevertheless, we still need to explain clearly, to society, to the press, to public administrations, to legal practitioners and to anyone living in the present day, the true importance of the figure of the Detective.
Indeed, within the Spanish judicial system, the private detective is the only professional legally authorised to investigate and provide party evidence in legal proceedings. Under Law 5/2014 on Private Security, private detectives may carry out investigations commissioned by natural or legal persons, provided that they respect fundamental rights and act within the legal framework.
This means that, unlike the police, whose investigative work serves the State and the judicial authorities, the private detective acts on behalf of the legitimate interests of one party in the proceedings. Thanks to their official authorisation, they can gather information, conduct surveillance and obtain evidence which, when presented in court, is fully valid and may be decisive for the outcome of the case.
The importance of this resource lies in the fact that, without the possibility of engaging a private detective, justice would be less fair and less equitable. If only the police could investigate, or if only those with access to State resources could prove their claims, many individuals and companies would be left defenceless. The private detective balances access to evidence, enabling any party to demonstrate relevant facts before the judge.
The challenge posed by new profiles in private investigation
Despite the profession's long history, as early as 1896 there was already a detective agency on Carrer Tallers in Barcelona, and in 1910 Cazeneuve founded his agency, the most important of the first half of the twentieth century, and despite the specific regulation that protects the work of private detectives in Spain, numerous professional profiles are currently emerging that move into the investigation sector without holding the legal authorisation of a private detective. Under labels such as "criminologist", "intelligence analyst", "open-source expert", "genealogist", "strategy consultant" or "market analyst", these pseudo-professionals offer services that, in many cases, overlap with the functions legally reserved for private detectives.
This situation can undermine the credibility and recognition of the private detective, since private investigation is a regulated activity and its practice requires meeting legal requirements, undertaking specific training and being authorised by the Ministry of the Interior. The proliferation of unregulated profiles can confuse society, clients and legal practitioners themselves, jeopardising the quality and validity of the evidence obtained and causing serious economic harm to the sector.
It is therefore essential to champion the figure of the private detective as the only professional authorised to investigate and provide party evidence in legal proceedings, guaranteeing legality, ethics and the protection of fundamental rights. Private investigation is a discipline that evolves alongside society and legislation, and it demands adaptability and rigour from those who practise it.
For all the reasons set out above, La Sociedad Clave intends to drive forward the actions needed to advance this project: to bring the Private Detective to the place it deserves.
