BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / Consulting Detective

**Posted by Sherlock Holmes** April 4, 2012 12:40 pm

We all know he's the only one in the world because he invented the position, but what I'd like to know is...when and how did he become a consulting detective?

I mean...you can't just walk onto a crime scene and start telling the police how to do their job. When we first meet Sherlock he already has an established relationship with the police force. I don't know if it's documented anywhere...but how did he get this relationship established in the first place?

**Posted by Davina** April 4, 2012 11:35 pm

I guess that the first time he dealt with the police was concerning the Carl Powers case. He says, in The Great Game, that he tried to convince the police that there was something amiss with the boy's death in the swimming pool, because his footwear was missing.

**Posted by Sherlock Holmes** April 4, 2012 11:57 pm

That's right, although he also says that they didn't listen because he was only a kid himself. So presumably that was when he started his detective work, but he was still not taken seriously by the police at that stage.

**Posted by Davina** April 5, 2012 12:11 am

I assume that was after his wanting to be a pirate stage.

**Posted by Sherlock Holmes** April 5, 2012 12:38 am

HAHA, yes...I like the idea of Sherlock being a pirate.

**Posted by Young Sherlock Holmes** April 14, 2012 11:05 am

*imagines Sherlock with an eye-patch. and a hook for a hand on top of a ship's mast." W-O-W... ha ha ha ha ha! That's just crazy davina. Simply crazy but I the thought is pretty funny!

I think he probably did some advertising and when everyone figured out how rubbish the police where (no offense to anyone in the police force, but c'mon you saw london last summer!) they decided to come to him... and then word got around! =)

-Y.S.H

**Posted by Sherlock Holmes** April 14, 2012 11:16 am

I guess you would start off doing small things like "find my lost cat" and "someone stole my purse/handbag/mobile phone/other personal effect" and then word spreads about how good he is and he gets references off people and stuff. And then I guess you really only need one person on the police force to believe in you (ie. Lestrade) and start to get you invovled in bigger and bigger cases.

**Posted by Young Sherlock Holmes** April 14, 2012 11:27 am

Exactly! I guess a contact would be needed to get in on the action! or he'd be stuck on "Some guy stole kid's new bike!" forever! =)

- Y.S.H

**Posted by kazza474** April 14, 2012 2:51 pm

he set up a small 'consulting detective' stand similar to Lucy's in Peanuts.

**Posted by Young Sherlock Holmes** April 14, 2012 3:07 pm

Ha ha! I like that original take! =D

Y.S.H

**Posted by Davina** April 14, 2012 4:08 pm

We Love Lucy!

**Posted by Sherlock Holmes** April 14, 2012 6:37 pm

In fact, John could use that exact sign, without any altering...and advise people on their psychosomatic limps.

**Posted by Young Sherlock Holmes** April 14, 2012 6:47 pm

Sherlock Holmes wrote:
In fact, John could use that exact sign, without any altering...and advise people on their psychosomatic limps.

Ha ha! I like it =D

**Posted by Sherlock Gnomes** April 16, 2012 8:04 pm

Well if "Young Sherlock Holmes" can be considered -- he was already a PIA as a teen (go figure) and helped get Lestat a promotion.

**Posted by m0r1arty** April 16, 2012 8:33 pm

I'm pretty sure Sebastian says it's been 8 years since they last saw each other when they were in Shad Sanderson, in his email to Sherlock earlier he notes that he's heard Sherlock had become a consulting detective.

So I'd assume Sherlock has been 'operating' as a consulting detective for less than 8 years.

As to how he became a consulting detective...well that's the fun of speculation.

He certainly has ability now, the only thing he would need would be opportunity.

Did he always have his abilities or has he honed them through developmental workshops is a matter which bothers me.

He mentions 'mind palace' and uses physical cues to help John remember the Chinese graffiti - seems like NLP to me. Which is practised.

-m0r

**Posted by Sherlock Holmes** April 16, 2012 9:19 pm

I think he probably had good observation skills and a keen eye but you definitely have to keep practicing them, you don't get THAT good from not practicing. And going back to that scene with Sebastian, he obviously used to deduce things about everyone at Uni (and get it right), so he was clearly pretty good at it already by that point.

We also know he was interested in the Carl Powers case and he can't have been more than about 13/14 at that stage which I guess show's that he's always been inquisitive and willing to look at problems from a different angle, not always accepting things as they first appear.

What does NLP stand for by the way?

**Posted by Wholocked** April 16, 2012 10:13 pm

Neuro Linguistic Programming. I don't know much about it but it's basically the idea that the language you use informs your attitudes and feelings and behaviours. So if you concentrate on using more positive language, you can change negative thought patterns. Or something like that. I guess there's more to it if what he's doing with John is NLP but that's all I know about it.

**Posted by stevenlewis** June 30, 2014 12:41 pm

How to Become a Detective helped to give many police officers a satisfying career path. It is a way for police officers who have mastered the duties of enforcing the law to specialize in a specific area and enjoy a long career with lots of room for advancement. Although the hours are long, each case provides plenty of opportunity for a diverse experience.