When can an ACO conduct an investigation?

• A. At any time
• B. Only if incidental to personal injury, theft, loss, embezzlement, misappropriation, or concealment of any property, or any other thing enumerated in this section which he or she has been hired or engaged to protect
• C. Only with a court order
• D. Only if property owner requests an investigation

Answer: (B)

An ACO’s investigative authority is limited to activities tied to the protection work they were hired to perform. They may conduct an investigation only when it is incidental to events affecting the property they are safeguarding—such as personal injury, theft, loss, embezzlement, misappropriation, or concealment of property, or other items listed in the section—and only as part of that protective engagement. This ensures their role stays within the scope of guarding the property rather than acting as a general investigator.

Why the other notions aren’t appropriate: conducting investigations at any time would exceed the protective scope; requiring a court order isn’t typically needed for routine protective inquiries; and waiting for a property owner to request an investigation would unnecessarily limit action on incidents the ACO is hired to address.