Brett was certified as a police officer in Michigan in 1982 after completing the required criminal justice training hours. He was then hired by the Benton Harbor Police Department, which at the time was ranked as the most dangerous city in the U.S. In 1985, he attended the Michigan State Police Supervisor Development School to become a shift supervisor.

In 1986, Brett accepted a job with the Elkhart City Police Department. During his 20 years there, he spent 17 years in the Criminal Investigations Division (C.I.D.), 14 of which were dedicated to handling more than 100 major crimes annually, including burglary, rape, arson, aggravated assault, robbery, bank robbery, and homicide. He was honored to receive numerous awards and commendations for solving complex cases and maintaining a conviction rate of over 99%.

The 1988 murder of his own brother, Jonathon, in South Bend, Indiana, gave Brett a deep personal understanding of the pain and grief felt by families of murder victims—an uncommon perspective for any investigator. That tragic event profoundly changed him, instilling a subconscious drive to understand why people commit violent crimes. While he grieved privately for years, that loss fueled his dedication as a detective. His passion for understanding violent crime led him to attend more than 50 specialized investigative training schools, earning multiple certifications across various fields of investigation. In 1993, he became a trainer and instructor in multiple investigative disciplines, including Interview and Interrogation. He spent the rest of his career mastering investigative strategy, criminal investigations, human behavior, and the Reid Method of Interrogation. Over the years, he conducted thousands of suspect interviews, including hundreds with violent offenders. Each interview was approached not only as an effort to solve a case but also as an opportunity to understand the individuals and, more importantly, why and how they committed their crimes. His extensive firsthand knowledge of criminology, particularly the motivations and methods of criminals, deepened his expertise in crime prevention, investigative strategy, and criminal investigations.

By 1997, Brett recognized a gap in police services—departments often couldn’t assist businesses with in-depth corporate investigations or intervene until a crime had already been committed due to legal constraints or a lack of resources. Additionally, police investigators had no authority to assist individuals with personal matters that were not criminal in nature, as civil cases fell outside their jurisdiction. To bridge this gap, he obtained a private investigator’s license that same year and founded Coppins Investigations, Inc. 

Over the following years, he took business classes, attended dozens of business and leadership seminars, read hundreds of books, and studied thousands of recorded trainings on business, management, leadership, communication skills, branding, and marketing.

He retired from police work in 2006 and rebranded his business as Coppins Investigative & Security Group, Inc., a company he established to provide investigative and security support to individuals and businesses in the private sector.

While growing his business, Brett accepted a contract in 2008 to serve the U.S. Department of Defense as an International Police Advisor and was assigned to Iraq. In 2009 and again in 2010, he was promoted twice, ultimately serving as a Senior Criminal Investigations Advisor reporting directly to the U.S. State Department. His primary role was as a Subject Matter Expert (SME), training, mentoring, and supporting Iraqi and Kurdish forces in criminal investigations and the Reid Method of Interview and Interrogation.

After completing his final contract and returning from Iraq in 2011, Brett resumed his mission of providing individuals and businesses in the private sector with the highest level of investigative and security support.

While proud of his accomplishments, Brett attributes his success to four key influences: his first training officer in Benton Harbor, his father’s example of hard work, the specialized training he received, and the senior detectives and officers he learned from over the years.

When asked about the case he is most proud of, Brett cites his contribution to solving the 30-year-old unsolved murder of Mariam Rice in South Bend. He and his cold case partner worked on the investigation for several years, eventually identifying two key witnesses who were instrumental in making two arrests and bringing some measure of peace to the victim’s family. Brett credits the uniform officers and detectives from 1988, who conducted most of the original investigative work, with solving the case. He noted that their thorough documentation and dedication were evident in the reports, and he and his partner were fortunate to uncover the final pieces of evidence that ultimately closed the case.

We understand that life can be crazy and stressful sometimes; our job is to help you solve that. Whether you’re coming to us for private investigator services or security consulting, we can assure you that we’re here to provide you with the positive, helpful experience that you’re looking for.
When you call us, we put you directly in contact with Founder & President Brett Coppins. Rest assured that you’ll receive our full attention and care, right off the bat.
We don’t want to compromise the safety of your business, or jeopardize your potential battles in court. If you’re looking for the best, give us a call to see what 30 years of experience can do for you.

Theft and insurance fraud cost business owners billions of dollars in a year, and much of the time can be prevented Insurance fraud is one of the most common scams, and it’s a terrible problem for insurance companies of all sizes; as licensed private investigators, that’s where we can help.
Whatever industry you’re in, from insurance to retail, there are almost certainly unscrupulous individuals who are looking to take advantage of you for financial gain. Our mission is to stop that from happening, and guarantee the full safety and security for you, your clients, your customers, and your overall brand.
Security issues like this can plague the financial or even physical safety of business owners and employees. This is particularly true for small local businesses that may not have the resources to invest in high-quality surveillance, tracking, and accounting equipment. When you contact Coppins Investigative & Security Group, we’ll work together to personalize a solution that’s right for you.