Surveillance investigations for private investigators is an everyday occurrence. While working cases from missing persons, insurance fraud, to finding evidence that a parent is fit to have child custody or visitation rights to proving marital infidelity. Surveillance shows to be the go-to for a live recording of evidence.
Surveillance investigations are about observing a subject, place, or object to gather the facts that can be used to build a case. Private Investigators use surveillance as a covert observation of people or places which private detectives use to investigate allegations of illegal behavior.
Private investigators use surveillance investigation techniques ranging from physical inspection to the electronic monitoring of conversations where it is legal. Surveillance allows private investigators to monitor the behavior, activities, or information of a subject or criminal. Private Investigators initiate surveillance during investigations for numerous reasons. Surveillance investigations include infidelity investigations, child custody investigations, undercover investigations, and insurance claims.
TYPES OF SURVEILLANCE
Overt & Covert: Covert surveillance is carried out without anyone’s knowledge, I.e., hidden cameras. Overt surveillance is performed using devices that are visible and obvious, I.e., Surveillance cameras.
Private Investigators conduct surveillance investigations for various reasons. Some reasons include; infidelity investigations, child custody investigations, domestic investigations, counterfeit investigations, undercover investigations, preventing a crime, obtaining evidence to submit into court, collect evidence of wrongful acts in a civil suit, to verify a subject’s location, or to gather intelligence for building a case.
When private investigators initiate surveillance investigations, it is incredibly demanding and challenging. The private investigators that succeed in surveillance have to possess qualities & discipline. Conducting surveillance investigations takes a person with exceptional communication skills, the ability to take action, a good memory, and the ability to blend into their surroundings, and strong attention to detail. The surveillance investigator should be honest, patient, observant, resourceful, flexible, and focused. Not all private investigators are able to sit for hours and focus on a particular area. Some private investigators sit in an automobile for up to twenty hours on the hottest day of summer with no air conditioner. Some of the best surveillance private investigators know all laws that could affect their investigation.