Fixed Surveillance Part 3 – Strategies

Strategies:

1. Direct Surveillance

“Sit On It Potsy”! I can still hear the Fonz, and just about every other character on Happy Days making that exclamation. In our case, I am referring to the spot you have picked for your direct surveillance. Direct surveillance, refers to sitting in a position where you have a direct view of the subject, or at least his/her residence, workplace, vehicle, or wherever you are watching them. Direct surveillance is by far the most preferable means or strategy, but is not always possible. However, most rookie investigators make the mistake of thinking that they need to change their location every hour. That is a big mistake. The thought process is usually, “if I move to different locations, they won’t become suspicious of me being here all day. If I sit in one spot, they will notice.” Surveillance subject are much like Michael Crichton’s T-Rex from Jurassic Park. Moving around only increases your chances of being spotted. That and it is far more suspicious to be seen in several different locations with a view of the same spot over the course of 8 hours, then it is to be in just one spot. You may get overlooked, or if you have a multiple day surveillance, it doesnt take long for the neighborhood to get used to your car being there….kinda like it belongs! Have patience, and just sit on it!

2. Indirect Surveillance

Fixed Surveillance Part 2 – Pre-Surveillance Considerations

Pre-surveillance considerations:

The first step in any pre-surveillance preparation is to get to know the area where you will be sitting. Google maps is a wonderful invention and can be useful for this, but nothing beats the old fashion way. If the surveillance is close by, you should go a day ahead of time and drive the area. Make note of landmarks, traffic patterns, gas stations, fast food joints, demographics, and vehicle types. If you know where the subject works and where the subject lives, you should drive that path and look for “short cuts”. I put that in quotes, because most people believe they know the shortest route and may not be accurate. Once you have gotten a view of the area in the daylight, you should attempt to do the same at night. It is amazing how the scenery changes with the sun and moon. Street lights cast different shadows than does the sun. While performing the familiarization step you should also be getting some ideas of where you intend to position yourself. Keep in mind that other’s point of views change from day to night as well. Also during this exercise, you should try to locate the “Little Old Lady”.

The LOL is not always a lady and not always old or little. The LOL is the one person in the neighborhood that spends more time looking out of the front window. The LOL has every neighbors phone number on their speed dial, and they know everyone’s schedule. They also know what cars and people belong and which ones don’t. When doing skip tracing or criminal investigations the LOL is a valuable resource. When doing surveillance of any kind the LOL is your worst enemy. If you are able to spot her, plan to setup your position out of her sight if at all possible.

Secondly, you should calculate how long you will be conducting the surveillance and with that time constraint, what necessities could present a problem. You should pack food and water. That is a no-brainer. What most investigators forget is that the food and water has to go somewhere! It is always a good idea to have toilet paper with you, and to know where the closest public bathroom is. You may also want to be sure to have a change of clothes. This serves several purposes. The first is that when people catch glimpses of you, all they remember mostly is your clothing. A change, could renew an almost lost case. Also in many areas of the country, depending on the season, the weather can change dramatically with the changing from day to night.

Be sure of course to have any cameras and video cameras fully charged and packed, as well as the chargers for each. Although your battery says it lasts for 4 hours, it may not. Same goes with the cell phone!

You should also have your cover story prepared and practiced. What happens if you are approached by a neighbor, the police, or the claimant? You should have an excuse for why you have been sitting there all day, and you should practice it so it doesn’t sound contrived when you are explaining yourself to the asker. In my opinion, and as a rule at Hill City Investigations, we always tell law enforcement the truth! In most cases, it is a good idea to call the local law enforcement as soon as you arrive or shortly before you arrive. Law enforcement, contrary to how television portrays them, are almost always cooperative and helpful to a PI. If they get a call and have to roll a vehicle out to see why you are sitting there all day, they most likely will be polite and even curious of what you are doing, but they will have to force you to leave and your cover may also get blown. If you call ahead, the dispatcher can explain that they are aware of your presence, and that it is nothing to worry about.

Having a prop or two to sustain your cover story can be helpful. Door magnets for your vehicle stating that you are with a construction company may be enough to alleviate any further notice or worry. If it is a warm day, put your hard hat and reflective vest on, get out your traffic counter or notepad, and sit in a folding chair next to your vehicle. The counting cars cover usually works well, and can give you an excuse for why you need to take occasional video footage too. If you are in a small subdivision, the “watching a dead beat dad” is always a good one. Most individuals, unless they are a deadbeat dad, are more than willing to keep quiet about a PI who is watching a house down the street to bust a deadbeat dad who isn’t paying alimony or child support!

To be continued….

Fixed Surveillance – A pain in the butt….literally

Surveillance – the bread and butter of a PI’s duties. Whether you specialize in criminal, domestic, insurance, or any other kind of investigation that includes a person as the subject, you will be heavily engaged in fixed and mobile surveillance. Mobile surveillance is generally the more difficult of the two and will be covered in the next series of blog posts.

Fixed surveillance is a surveillance that takes place from a fixed or stationary position. 99% of the time that position will be your vehicle. Unless you have an incredibly comfortable car, the 8 to 12 or more hours you will be spending in it will quite literally give you a pain in the butt!

In the remainder of this blog series, I will attempt to layout for you strategies, suggestions, important items lists, and check lists to get you well on your way to a successful fixed surveillance. Just remember that your subject is a human being, and therefore is totally unpredictable. So, just because you follow all of the advice and lists and strategies laid out herein, doesn’t mean you will always have success and never get burned!