KANSAS ASSOCIATION OF PRIVATE INVESTIGATORS

P.O. Box 2111

Overland Park, KS 66201-1111



KAPI: A Decade of Determination

[Prepared January 1, 2003]

On December 15, 2002, the Kansas Association of Private Investigators completed its first decade of service on behalf of Kansas Private Detectives. In recognition of the occasion, it is fitting to examine the accomplishments and focus of the association to gain the perspective necessary to envision the second decade. This introspection is more heart-felt than usual due to the events of 2002 affecting its officers and members.

In July, Mickey Gitlin, a founding member, frequent officer, and very active supporter of the association died of natural causes. The impact on the association was quite strong; he will be missed. KAPI is also being affected by the serious illness of other KAPI officers and active members or their family members at various times throughout the year. In addition, the KAPI Secretary was called to active duty with the US Army in support of Operation Noble Eagle part of the Global War on Terrorism. The overall result was a serious drop in the available time devoted to KAPI by its active officers and members. In such circumstances, determination, in both of its meanings, becomes decisive. To better understand this, let us review a decade of KAPI action and its focus.

KAPI was founded on December 16, 1992 by the filing of incorporation papers with the State of Kansas by five Kansas Private Detectives. The purpose of the organization, as stated in the ByLaws, was: "To establish and perpetuate high ethical and professional standards and excellence of professional service in the private investigative industry in accordance with the association's Code of Ethics." At the time of its formation, many private detectives around the state were reporting what they perceived as arbitrary and unfair treatment by the state regulating agency. According to some sources, the regulating agency was motivated, in part, by the belief that its actions were necessary to insure minimum professional standards among the Private Detectives. Consequently, the dual motivation of the private detectives involved in forming KAPI was to represent Kansas Private Detectives with the regulatory agency, and, simultaneously, to address the basic premise behind their actions, the regulation of professional, ethical conduct. Initial contact with the regulating agency by KAPI did not satisfactorily resolve the situation; a civil action was then filed against the regulating agency to enforce the provisions of state law pertaining to its conduct. This civil action was resolved with a consent decree signed by KAPI and then Attorney General Robert Stephan. This led to talks about the existing private detective statute and administrative rules and regulations pertaining to private detectives. Over the next five years, both the Kansas Private Detective Licensing Act and the administrative rules were amended. KAPI was strongly involved in these talks and subsequent amendments.

At about the time that the Kansas Private Detective Licensing Act was in the final stages of amendment, KAPI was again confronted with arbitrary action by a regulating agency leading to complaints from a number of private detectives. In this instance, the regulating agency was the Kansas City, MO Board of Police Commissioners. Again, KAPI stepped to the forefront on behalf of its members and other private detectives. Again, attempts to talk to the regulating agency produced no result and a civil suit was filed. The necessity for filing this action was not clear to many Kansas Private Detectives, and many began to describe KAPI as 'confrontational', 'anti-police', 'domineering', etc. Comments about dictatorial KAPI officers frequently surfaced in conversations with private detectives throughout Kansas. It may be significant that most of these comments came from people who were not directly affected by the arbitrary actions of either the Kansas or Kansas City regulatory agencies. The validity of the KAPI position concerning the conduct of the Kansas City regulatory agency was upheld in the Missouri State Supreme Court. KAPI had asserted that the Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners acted outside of the existing state law and the court agreed. What KAPI had done was simply use the courts to enforce the state law (Isn't that the exact duty of law enforcement agencies and officers?). Those who had asserted that KAPI was 'confrontational' and 'anti-police' were proven wrong; all KAPI did was require a law enforcement agency to follow the law. What better demonstration could there be that KAPI believed its statement of basic purpose found in the ByLaws ("To establish and perpetuate high ethical and professional standards...")? In evaluating KAPI and its actions, many had failed to see that its founders and strongest supporters simply determined the truth and used that truth to obtain equitable, fair treatment (Isn't that what investigators are supposed to do?). The truth was that both regulating agencies had legal obligations, and had failed to meet them. KAPI simply required them to meet their legal obligations as detailed by the legislative bodies in each state and enforced in the courts of each state. Both of these actions individually required 5-6 years of support by KAPI to reach completion. Such a long term approach takes a strong commitment, another definition of determination. KAPI makes a determination of the truth, and then displays determination to make the truth advance a professional purpose. The first ten years of the Kansas Association of Private Investigators has been, overwhelming, 'A Decade of Determination". It is fair for KAPI to take pride in this; the organization actually lives its purpose and Code of Ethics. What, then, can we forecast for the next decade?

To forecast the performance of KAPIU for the next decade, you must ask what are the strengths of KAPI?

What is that vision?