ABOUT SURVEILLANCE

REAL LIFE v. HOLLYWOOD

Surveillance in real life is very different and much more difficult than the way it is depicted on the big screen and television.  Movies often show just one detective following a subject for hours or days on end without losing the subject or being discovered.  In reality, it is very probable that with only one detective tailing someone, the person being followed will lose the detective without trying or will discover they are being followed.  For this reason, law enforcement agencies use multiple agents or officers for mobile surveillance, often using six or more investigators.  They will also use airplanes or helicopters to maintain visual contact with the target of the surveillance.  In the private sector, very few companies and individuals have the financial resources to afford employing more than two detectives at a time or using an aircraft for surveillance.

Some surveillance jobs only last a few hours, while others may go on for days on end, 24 hours a day.  Surveillance can be tedious, boring, mind-numbing, and physically and mentally draining and trying.  For the real life detective, surveillance rarely results in the action shown on the television shows 24, Magnum, P.I., Burn Notice, and others.  Sitting in the back of a surveillance van in the summer heat of Phoenix, Arizona, is anything less than fun; about as much fun as sitting in one in Detroit or Chicago in the middle of winter.  You’re either sweating or freezing.  And, definitely unlike television, there are times when it just isn’t possible to get any video or photographs, or if you do, they may be of such poor quality they can’t be used.  Private detectives don’t have the luxury of having multiple camera angles, calling for close ups, or asking the subject to do another take.

MOBILE SURVEILLANCE

With mobile surveillance, the subject has the advantage of knowing where he is going, where the detective following often doesn’t know the subject’s destination.  If the subject drives through an intersection but the light changes to red before the detective is able to make it through, the subject is lost.  If the subject is driving faster than the speed limit, the detective should not be trying to keep up with the subject.  Photo radar and red light cameras are deterrents to violating traffic laws in order to maintain the tail.  Also, having the same detective or vehicle behind a subject for hours or days on end may result in the subject realizing he or she is being followed.  If you see the same person in your rear view mirror as you drive to work, then in a store you’re shopping in, then a restaurant your dining in, and then, again, in your rear view mirror as you’re turning onto the street where you live, all in the same day, chances are you are being followed.

When the subject arrives at his destination, the detective who is following may have to try and get photographs or video of the subject entering a building or meeting with someone.  This is difficult to do when the detective is still trying to find a place to park, keep an eye on the subject, and also use a camera.  It’s even more difficult when you factor in trying to do all of that while not standing out.

Following someone into a restaurant or a place of business in order to see who they might be meeting with or what they might be doing, while simultaneously obtaining video or photos of this is another situation that has its difficulties.  This is where having two or more detectives working the surveillance would be ideal.  If a two-person team is being used, one of the detectives can go into the business and the other can remain in a vehicle, ready to follow the subject immediately if needed. 

If the subject goes into a restaurant and there are multiple detectives working the detail, preferably men and women, a man and woman team can enter the restaurant as a couple having dinner and try to get themselves seated in such a way where they may obtain good video of the subject.  Of course, this involves using cameras that cannot be seen and that can be used in such an environment.  Romantic-type restaurants are usually the worst for this because of their low lighting, especially when they rely primarily on candles for providing the right ambiance.  Video obtained in such restaurants can be obtained but often it isn’t of very good quality.

Today, video cameras with pinholes can be hidden in a tie, a book, a purse, a briefcase, and in many other objects.  And, with today’s technology, using the video or digital camera in a cellular telephone is often a viable solution, provided it can be done surreptitiously.

STATIONARY SURVEILLANCE

If you saw a man, or even a woman, sitting in a parked car in your neighborhood for hours or days on end without doing anything but sitting, you would probably be suspicious.  Even if that person were only parked for 30 minutes, you would still be suspicious.  And chances are you might even call the police.  It is nearly impossible to sit unnoticed in a car in any neighborhood; people are generally aware as to whether a person or a car is part of their neighborhood or not.  Neighbors are likely to call the police to report a suspicious person. 

A detective on static surveillance in a vehicle has to park far enough away from where the subject is, be it a residence or an office, and yet close enough to obtain video or photographs if needed.  This can be very difficult, even more so on streets that circle or are cul-de-sacs or dead ends.  Surveillance vans are useful for stationary surveillance in that a detective can sit in the back, unseen, using cameras that are not readily visible.  However, a van suddenly appearing one day on a street where the van had never been before is still likely to gain unwanted attention.  In rural areas where there may be fields between houses and dirt roads, a vehicle parked on a road in such a setting is sure to stand out. 

Whether a detective is conducting mobile or stationary surveillance, it is important that the detective take notes of a multitude of things, including:  what time the subject left one location; the direction the subject went; what clothing the subject wore; whether the subject was alone or not; whether the subject was carrying anything; a description of the subject’s vehicle (if the detective didn’t already have it), including the vehicle’s license plate number; a description of who the subject may have met with and when are where this took place; etc.

TERMINOLOGY

• Blown:  when the person under surveillance discovers he is being watched, the surveillance is "blown".
• GPS Tracker:  a tracking device that can be placed on a subject’s vehicle and is used to track the movements of the vehicle, providing real time information via the Internet.
• Mobile surveillance:  watching someone while they are moving.
• Stationary surveillance:  watching someone where they are not moving or watching a place; also referred to as fixed, static, or immobile surveillance.
• Shadow:  to follow someone, ideally without them knowing it.
• Subject:  the person being followed; also referred to as a target.
• Tail:  to follow or shadow someone.  “I’ve got the tail.”
• Tailing:  the act of conducting mobile surveillance on someone (i.e., following).

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GOALS OF SURVEILLANCE

1. Do not lose the subject of the surveillance
2. Do not be detected by the subject of the surveillance
3. Obtain information or evidence for the client

PRE-SURVEILLANCE INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION

When clients request that surveillance be conducted, they will often be asked for specific information related to the surveillance.  Ideally the client will be able to provide a photograph of the subject, which is then provided to all detectives working the surveillance.

Before beginning surveillance, detectives have to prepare.  This involves making sure the surveillance equipment is ready: communications equipment is operating; vehicles are fueled up, have proper air pressure in the tires, and fluid levels all good; camera batteries are fully charged and there plenty of video tapes, disks, or data cards; laptop is charged, power converter for vehicle use is packed, and internet card is working (if GPS tracking device is being used); and binoculars and/or night vision equipment is packed.  In addition to making sure the equipment is working, it is important the detectives are familiar with the case and the subject.

Detectives will conduct reconnaissance of the surveillance start site, trying to identify the best location(s) to set up.  Detectives will also familiarize themselves with routes of departure and arrival and try to spot traffic hazards and other potential problems.  If a school cross walk is located down the street from the subject, the detective doesn’t want to get caught waiting for children to cross the street while the subject gets away.  The detectives should anticipate this and position themselves in such a way as to be beyond the crosswalk, be able to get behind the subject’s vehicle, and still be able to see the subject leaving or preparing to leave the surveillance start site.  Use of Google’s satellite maps is great for getting an idea as to the set up of an area, but nothing beats actually being there and seeing for one’s self what the area looks like.

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contact@phxinvestigations.com