Page 24 - WBG Dec 2025

FEATURE

A star private investigator

from Hod HaSharon

Alex Auslander, an Israeli, was elected Vice President of the
World Association of Detectives in Chicago.

On international cooperation in private investigations.

Alex, what was so special about the event held in
Chicago?

It was the centennial conference of WAD - an organization
that unites over a thousand detectives from eighty-seven
countries.

And you were elected vice president there...

Yes, there is a President and three Vice Presidents.
According to the charter, each of them holds their position
for exactly one year, then moves up one rung, and thus,
approximately in 2028-2029, I will assume the presidency.
Incidentally, it’s symbolic that the conference was held in
the same hotel where the WAD’s founding conference
took place a hundred years ago, in 1925.

Will you be the first Israeli to lead this Association?

No, the third, but in its entire century-long history! The first
was in 1970-71, the second in 1990-91. For me, the position
isn’t as important as the fact that in these difficult times,
when anti-Israel sentiment is strong, Israel is nevertheless
“...Frames from some melodrama flicker, move, and overlap on the screen. A recognized by such an authoritative community as the
woman emerges from the kitchen. Heads into the bedroom. Undresses. Close- WAD or IKD.
up of the bed. A sultry man. Hugs, kisses, and so on...
What is life like for a private detective in Israel?
...etc. Some people run in. The cuckolded husband waves his arms. A handsome Is private investigation developed in Israel?
man frantically searches for his pant leg, unable to find it. A man with a camera
calmly records the heartbreaking scene of exposure... First, I’ll surprise you with one interesting fact. In all
of Russia, there are just under 2,000 licensed private
“Life is one big movie!” Alex Auslander sarcastically comments on the scene. You detectives for a population of 145 million. In Israel, there
can believe him, because he was the one who filmed this melodrama. Not a are 1,800.
Mexican one, but a true Tel Aviv one. Straight from life...”
Perhaps it’s simply much easier to obtain a license here
That’s how my article about private detective Alex Auslander began in one than in Russia?
Russian-language magazine about thirty years ago. The magazine has long
since ceased to exist, but during this time, the activities of Auslander’s detective Not at all! The rules are extremely strict, governed by
agency have transcended national borders: he has worked in Russia, Ukraine, a 1972 law. Moreover, in many countries, just getting
the United States, Kyrgyzstan, and several other countries. International a private detective license allows you to operate
detective agencies have begun to take Alex seriously, and here’s the result: independently, even opening your own agency. Here, it’s
this past September, in Chicago, he was elected Vice President of WAD (World different: a private detective license has two levels. The
Association of Detectives), One of the oldest global organizations of private first level allows you to work as a private detective, but not
investigators, with the potential to be promoted to President. Furthermore, in independently, by carrying out assignments for someone
October, he became Vice Secretary General of IKD—the uniting umbrella of with a second-level license, which allows you to open a
Internationals organizations of Private Detectives. private detective agency.
22 W.A.D Beyond Global