BILLINGS — A Billings private investigator is launching a new professional association aimed at uniting and strengthening Montana's licensed private investigator community.
Mike Toth, owner of Elite Investigations, founded the Montana Association of Licensed Investigators to create a statewide network and hold investigators to a higher standard than what state licensing alone requires. Toth says there are about 200 private investigators in Montana.
Watch Mike Toth talk about the need for an association:
"Sometimes I need work done in Kalispell, and I don't know any PIs over there. I mean, we're so spread out," Toth said Wednesday.
The association is designed to address that gap.
"We need a unified voice. The other thing is we need a network," Toth said.
Toth says membership in the association could give clients greater peace of mind when hiring an investigator.
"If they hire a PI, if they want to check and see if he's a member of our association, that means he's going to be held to higher standards, even than what the state requires," Toth said.
He says accountability is a key concern for anyone seeking investigative services.
"You want to make sure the guy's licensed or a girl's licensed and that they're being held accountable and they're getting training. And they're going to be able to produce something for you. It's not just some guy in his mom's basement that is doing whatever," Toth said.
State licensing also provides a path for recourse if a client has a complaint.
"If somebody files a complaint, the state would investigate it," Toth said.
Kelli Maxwell, who regularly hires Toth, says she has seen his commitment to the profession firsthand.
"He takes his certifications very seriously, and he cares about the integrity of the industry as a whole as well," Maxwell said.
When Maxwell learned about the new association, she said it reinforced her confidence in Toth's approach.
"That's really refreshing too, to know that you're working with someone who wants to work even with other people in his industry that also have that level of integrity," Maxwell said.
Montana already has professional associations for Realtors, lawyers, doctors and other professions. Toth believes the new association will provide additional safeguards for clients seeking the truth.
"For safety and qualifications are going to be held to higher standards," Toth said.
