Ben Costen photo Gary Miles, fromer PI, shows off his autographed photo of Colombo.

Former private investigator, Gary Miles, is happy teaching new PIs the knowledge and skills 30 years of experience have provided him.

A former Algonquin professor in the defunct PI program at the college, Miles feels less restricted budget-wise at his Hawk Investigative Institute.

Miles first got into PI work because his father was a policeman. He would’ve become a cop too, he said. But he needed glasses as a child and even though it was a human rights violation - back then it didn’t matter - he wasn’t allowed to be a cop.

“It was very unorganized,” Miles said of the PI business when he first started. There were very few restrictions, and the rules that were in place, such as the three year agency rule, were not being followed.

Private investigators must now have three years experience with an agency before they can start their own business.

Miles misses the whole game of PI work - the action of the chase, nabbing the person no one suspected, and piecing all the parts together. But after having survived three strokes, he had to retire from PI for medical reasons. His doctor won’t let him go back.

He doesn’t miss the brutality of some of the criminal cases he was involved in, especially those involving children and the elderly.

“That stuff you have to get used to. But it’s very very hard. Even for the seasoned professionals,” he said. “I’ve seen some long term detectives throwing up. It’s just that much of a shock to them when [they] see how [children] have been treated.”

Miles finds teaching at Hawk to be a refreshing time in his life. “You get to see the students start asking great questions, you know you’re getting to them.”

Miles and his investigative partner, Russ Taylor, have restricted the number of students per session to ten. It allows for more one on one time between student and teacher, and the students are less afraid to ask questions.

For Algonquin students who may be considering a career in PI work, there are some things to consider before you start. “It’s not the best on families,” Miles said. When you get a call, “you have to go.” And everything is confidential, so there’s not much you can say to your spouse about your workday.

Miles’ own marriage broke up after he found out his wife was having an affair with the best man from his wedding.

There was never a time Miles wished he hadn’t been a PI, but there are some memories that are more difficult to recall.

“My best friend was blown away at his front door by gang members, saying goodbye to his wife and kids,” Miles said. “That was tough, really tough.”

Miles was hired onto the PI program at Algonquin because they needed a part time teacher. Brian Duffy, a police foundations professor, said Miles got the job because he came with a wealth of experience and knowledge.

“He’s a good gentleman, quite motivated, and had a good relation with students and kept them engaged.”

The program switched from full-time to part-time because of low demand for the program from prospective students, said Duffy. A new Bill, C159 - enforces a new rule that says PIs will have to be professionally trained. This might increase the demand for a full time PI program at Algonquin, but that is not known for sure to Duffy, or Gerry Barker, the executive dean of public safety.

Miles and Taylor started Hawk because they didn’t like the amount of sloppy investigating they saw. Many other PI trainers aren’t as thorough and many agencies push the boundaries of the law, Miles said.

The best advice Miles can give to a new PI is to use common sense when approaching any type of case. Go over all your information and wait for someone to make a mistake. He said he couldn’t think of a decision he made as a PI that he would take back because he thought everything through so carefully.

PIs that don’t co-operate with the local cops, or who do a sloppy job, can get blacklisted, said Miles. Your client list starts to get smaller and eventually disappears.

Having been a PI for almost 30 years, and teaching it, Miles feels very well known in the community. He’s earned a reputation for himself, partly because of his father’s influence and growing up in a police family, and partly by doing the job well.

While his poor balance - a result of the strokes - won’t allow him to get into the physical aspect of PI, he’s willing to help former students get on track in a case they can’t solve, and gives advice on what technology to use.

Now 51, Miles wants to keep on teaching right up until he’s 75 or 80. He doesn’t want to stop.