As a special agent, conducting surveillance is one of the things we do the most. In this article, I am going to share with you some of my expert surveillance techniques you can use to improve your surveillance abilities.

There may come a time when you need to surveil someone. This could be your spouse or significant other, or your teenage child, or you may be a private investigator as I am. In either case, these techniques will make your surveillance go smoother and easier.

Be Discrete

At the base of all surveillance techniques is a healthy dose of discretion. When it comes down to it, no matter how advanced your methods are on collecting information or spying on others, if you are operating in an obvious manner, you’re not likely to uncover the information you are seeking. Additionally, your actions will likely bring some unwanted attention.

So, during your surveillance, be sure that you wear clothes that blend in with the general population where you are operating. I recommend you have a few extra items of clothing you can throw on in case your environment changes during the surveillance and you have to remain discrete. Also, make sure you have a discrete vehicle you can use during your operation. You must do all you can to not draw unnecessary attention to yourself.

Embody Your Role

If you’re playing a role to get closer to your subject (ex: a construction worker) make sure you have a backstory in case an astute observer challenges you or you have to go into your role than you anticipated.

For example, if you’re pretending to do some construction work and your subject approaches you and asks you what you are working on, make sure you know enough about your construction to carry on a conversation. It’s essential that you can maintain your cover if things heat up.

Be knowledgeable of Your Area of Operations

You never want to be in a position where you’re lost in the area; you’re operating in. Therefore, one of the most critical surveillance techniques you can have is being able to familiarize yourself with local roads and landmarks quickly.

By knowing your way around an area, you will be able to get out of a tricky situation quickly if you need to. This school will also come in handy so that you won’t get lost while tailing a subject.

Know All You Can About Your Subject

To track someone, you have to know that person as best you can. You should familiarize their habits and know their schedule.

To gather this information, first, conduct a thorough background check. Try to discover if the subject is violent. If you are able, talk to sources to get as much additional information about your subject as possible.

Consider Having a Backup

Sometimes, no matter how discreet you are, someone hanging around an area for too long is bound to get noticed. One of the surveillance techniques you can use to lessen suspicion is by working with a partner on some surveillances. Having a partner of the opposite sex is a good choice.

This can also help with your cover too as you will seem to be a couple that is less likely to be noticed by onlookers.

Carry Good Recording Devices

No matter how good your surveillance techniques are if you’re not capturing high-quality evidence, you’re not going to be successful. Therefore, if you need actually to capture the behavior you are surveilling, say for court purposes or if you are working as a private investigator, make sure you have the proper equipment. Ensure that you have a good DSLR camera with a telephoto lens and a video camera as part of your equipment.

Use Available Records

Knowledge is power when you are conducting an investigation. Because of that, surveillance techniques often include going through court and public records to dig up more intel on your subject.

To access court records, you can start with archives.gov. For public records, you can use services like Westlaw and LexisNexis

Use Social Media

You can use social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to gather an incredible amount of information on your subject. As a private investigator, I often start my surveillance by following my target on social media subject through those mediums. I recommend you do the same.

Consider Dumpster Diving

As a special agent, I often had to sift through people’s garbage to gather valuable information. In most states, when people put their trash out, it’s no longer considered their property. If this is the case in your state, you can gather a lot of knowledge on your subject by going through their trash.

Be sure to do this late at night and quietly. You will almost certainly draw confrontation from your subject or their neighbors during the day.

Always Follow the Law

You may not be conducting a surveillance to use the results as evidence in a case like I used to as a special agent and still do as a private investigator, but you still don’t want to run into legal trouble. When conducting your surveillance, always make sure you are following local rules and regulations.

Never put yourself in a situation where you could end up in jail or getting injured.

Always operate in a discreet fashion, become a local area expert, embody your role, and get creative in the ways you dig up information on your subject as long as your methods are legal.

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