If you've been in the game a while you should not be forgiven for not knowing these 5 things that every PI should know.
- 3 cameras always
A camcorder, a mirrorlesss or SLR with long range capabilities and a cover camera are the minimum to ensure you get the footage your client needs. Before engaging the use of any devices keep in mind if the footage will be helpful. You can be in the right place at the right time but without the right equipment then it just won't work.
- Full tank of petrol/gas
You never know where you may need to go and if you've bee instructed to follow them all the way then you need a full tank of petrol to ensure you don't get left behind filling up. Even worse is when you need to fill up and have to do it at the same station as the POI.
- Record keeping
Keep a record of everything that happens as it happens. Your memory is not perfect and not everything will have video footage. To ensure you have great records and happy clients write things down or make a record of things as they happen. Private investigators are known for their good record keeping skills, don't let us down.
- Bring a high visibility jacket and a dog lead
Versatility and adaptability is paramount as you never know when you may need to go on foot or go mobile in static situations. To help you will need a few social indicators that you are acting and behaving normally, remember abnormal or unusual behaviour is the best way of getting burned. Use these types of equipment to give the social cues that you are in the right place.
- Bring a urine bottle
A strong bladder is needed for all PI's however you will need a container for urine. Even if the surveillance is short bring a bottle for this. We recommended a dedicated bottle as this avoids any mess and will hopefully keep your vehicle seats clean. For female you may need to look into more technical devices with tubes or a funnel to ensure no mess. Don't get distracted because you need to go, bring a bottle every investigator needs one.
Extra tip!
Make sure to bring additional SD cards. Ensure they are high quality class 10, we recommend Sandisk Extreme Pro cards. Remember they can and do fail, higher quality cards are less likely to fail.