Private Investigation Individual 8
Week 8: Week Eight - Individual Work
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Instructional Objectives for this activity:
Explain key techniques used in surveillance operations. |
Private investigators utilize surveillance to obtain information and facts about various "targets" who may be untruthful with their spouses or employers. Surveillance is a skill that requires knowledge and practice. Selecting the correct vehicle and/or tools for a particular situation also requires training and knowledge in mobile vs. static surveillance.
Research and describe your optimum surveillance vehicles and why you choose that particular vehicle for a particular surveillance project. How would your own vehicle fit into the situation? What works for or against your favor? Describe what clothes you would wear, desired communication, surveillance devices, and the manpower required for the various types of surveillance operations.
Write a 2-3-page paper (300-400 words) summarizing the case and your analysis. |
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Read Chapter 7, "Surveillance” pages 191-211.
Review the presentation titled, “Private Investigation I: Chapter 7.”
Introduction to Surveillance:
Surveillance may be described as the clandestine or secret observation of persons or places in an endeavor to determine the activates of a person or place. More simply put, it is people watching with a purpose, a report, and a pay check, all without getting” burned” (detected).
Surveillance seems to be the part of the job that first comes to mind when people find out someone is a private investigator? “WOW, you must follow people around; wow, isn’t it dangerous? They stand wide- eyed until they hear about the fairly mundane tasks many investigators perform on a daily basis.
A great opening for a conversation, yet most investigators are not as impressed with what they do in their jobs, as others seem to be. Actually, surveillance is one of the more interesting and stimulating activities in which private investigators engage.
Surveillance Beginnings
Surveillance was most of what there was to do back in the early 20th
century when the profession of private investigations began to emerge in locate bad guys, know what the school marm is to, or if “ Williams is paying undue attention to Maggie Sue, the preacher’s wife.
Motor vehicles were non-existent and it would have been pretty tough to remain “invisible” on horseback or in a buggy. There were many foot surveillances and window peeping in those early days; earning our predecessors the nickname “gumshoe.” Before Jim Rockford Magnum PI, there was Thomas Marlow who always wore his trademark fedora. These references can conger up some great images, but the stories are primarily fictional. Several producers have tried to create a reality television show about about private investigators, yet more have succeeded. Page 195
Vehicle page200
Your goal is to conduct your activities without the subject becoming aware. In other words, think invisible. Your chosen surveillance vehicle should likewise, be unremarkable and indistinguishable from hundreds should likewise, be unremarked and indistinguishable from hundreds of others on the road. Why do you think undercover police officers use plain sedans for fieldwork? There is nothing about the car to draw your attention. You want to avoid cars that are two-toned black and white since most of us can spot a police car a quarter mile away in our peripheral vision.
Avoid vehicles with primer spots, large antennas, metallic finish, bright or non –stack colors, fancy trim parts, or member able license plate frames. Grey, brown, tan light green are good colors and tend to blend into the surroundings. Monster trucks or Hummers of any color are unsuitable. Custom license plates are memorable and especially ones like SPY4U” OR PI4HIRE.”
Some of the “ old School” field agents have installed switches to alter the appearance of their vehicle at night. They can change the angle or intensity of headlights, put a headlight out, or even has a light that blinks or looks like it has a short. In a subject’s rear view mirror, it does not appear that the same vehicle is continually behind them.
Take a walk around your intended surveillance vehicle to make a visual inspection. Check for any extra antennas, dents, dings, primer spots, front body damage, license plate farms, or stickers that someone might notice. Your vehicle is usually spotless, waxed and detailed to the max; you might have to drive down a dirt road to make it blend in better with other vehicles at the pickup.
Tool of the Trade:
Compile a surveillance kit that you can easily assemble and update when needed.
Note pad
Pens and pencils
Maps
Camera
Tape recorder
Small flashlight
Reference:
Hawks, C.Flax, Evans, D. (2006).
Private investigations I: An introduction.
Unknown: LawTech Publishing