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Investigative Method
and Technique
Background Investigations
I. INTRODUCTION
A large portion of private security assignments consist of background investigation. Due to ris-
ing concerns about alcohol and drug addiction, the ease of document forgery, transcript alteration,
assumption of false names and backgrounds, and the threat of espionage and terrorist activities,
background investigations are increasingly important to businesses, institutions, and individuals.
Within corporate settings, personnel departments greatly rely on background reviews. According
to William Cunningham and Todd Taylor, authors of the rst Hallcrest Report:
It