Which statement best describes the arrest authority of a private investigator?

• A. for a public offense committed or attempted in your presence
• B. like any other private individual
• C. commits a felony , although not in your presence
• D. None of the above

Answer: (B)

Private investigators don’t have police powers. Their arrest authority is the same as that of a private citizen. They can intervene or detain only under the same limits as any ordinary person—typically only when a crime has been or is being committed in their presence, and they must hand the situation over to law enforcement rather than try to conduct their own full enforcement. Because of that, the most accurate description is that their authority is like that of any private individual. The other ideas imply broader or different powers (arrest for a public offense in presence, or felonies not in presence) that private investigators do not possess under standard practice.