Real Life vs Fictional Detectives

Today's guest blogger, Jack Meyer is a freelance writer and regular contributor at www.nannybackgroundcheck.com/.  While he has a passion for various subjects like education, career and technology, Parenting etc., he also has real-life experience as a police detective.  Today he offers us crime fiction writers some notes contrasting his experiences with the lives of the detectives we make up.


Detective-style television shows or novels can be quite entertaining for those who are in to that genre of entertainment. Although these shows and books are intriguing to watch and read, the role of a detective in real life is much different. The purpose of the fictional detective is to entertain and enthrall you. What differences are there between the men and women of justice, and the actors that portray them?

1. Evidential Time Lapse - Evidence collection is an important part of any investigation. As opposed to the quick response television DNA evidence is processed, it could take several days or longer to process in reality.

2. The Law - Writers can modify techniques and laws to suit the story. Real life detectives have to obey the laws themselves and know how to conduct an investigation. For instance, breaking into a location to possibly acquire evidence could have that evidence thrown out in a court of law.

3. Blasting Away - It is common place to see a war zone break out in the middle of town in an exciting detective movie. However, real detectives would have to account for every bullet fired and mark each one as evidence. That P90 in the trunk would require massive amounts of paperwork.

4. Permissions - Real life detectives don't have the ability to walk onto a location and start an investigation. Without good probable cause or permission from the location's owner, the detective would need to prove that a warrant is necessary. Otherwise, any evidence collected is not admissible in court and would prove fruitless.

5. Timing is Crucial - Fictional detectives have a knack of solving cases within a time frame that watchers and readers are comfortable with to keep his or her attention. Real detectives can spend more than a year trying to solve a mystery, which could become tedious and monotonous to those who relish excitement.

6. Relationships - Many fictional detectives suffer the negative aspects of relationship difficulties as real detectives do. Although this plays into the drama of the story, in real life it is usually a circumstance of a high-stress environment that couples have a hard time getting through.

While some are drawn to becoming detectives in real life, others only want to be entertained. Some may think that the glamor of the detective in entertainment venues is as dramatic and exciting as the real thing. Although it could be an exciting career for some, it could be disappointing for others. Detectives have a purpose when they choose the career, and it's not entertainment.

Jack Meyer welcomes your feedback or questions about true detectives.  You can contact him at jackmeyers08@gmail.com.