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Covert Surveillance
Grant • 2 January 2021
Covert Surveillance
Covert Surveillance is a art practiced by many different types of professionals such as PI's, Detectives, Police, Information Services and other Government agencies. Covert surveillance is broken down into different types:
Static and Mobile
Pretexted - Hidden in plain sight with a reasonable excuse
Hidden -Hidden behind a vehicle tint, curtain etc and not visible
Crowd - Part of a crowd of other people
Part - Become part of the activity, group etc through action
Static Pretexted, static hidden, static crow, static part, mobile pretexted, mobile hidden, mobile crowd & mobile part.
Pretexted static, part mobile, crowd mobile & hidden static are the primary categories 80% of your surveillance will fall into. By the far the most comfortable can be hidden static but this is not always the case at all, you will have to get out into the bad world form behind your limo tint. Remember what your doing changes!
Recording
To conduct surveillance successfully you will need to record what happens efficiently and discreetly. This includes photography. Each type of surveillance has different issues for recording what happens, remember your memory is fallible! Making accurate records is vital to good surveillance. Mobile phones are useful, however I prefer pen and paper when in the vehicle.
Ensuring you have methods of recording at all times is vital, covert video is not a mobile phone! Do not rely just on your mobile phone.
Brief comments on international operations
During international operation there are many factors to consider which change how you work substantially. I will break them down into segments:
Legal
Cultural
Physical
Speak
Pretext
Spy
Legal
changes mean what you can and cannot do can be different. Some countries are more relaxed and less likely to question your presence whereas others may be more suspicious of you, know your area and what you will need to prepare to look less suspicious THINK PRETEXT. Understand what the Police are likely to do with you in worst case scenarios and way up the risk vs reward.
Cultural, people don't behave in the same way everywhere. Don't rely on tactics that work in the UK to work abroad. Remember to consider the cultural changes. People won't stay in the sun for long in warmer climates, you need to account for different patterns of behaviour!
Physical
changes, things don't happen like they do the in the UK. From the shrubbery to deliveries at a business things don't happen in the same way. You may need to put in more hours or do more research.
Speak, learn the basics of the language. If you can get the words 'no', 'thank you' and other casual comments in the correct accent you can avoid suspicion in some situations. Remember also the opposite when researching areas speak to more people, you are not as familiar with the area and so talking with locals can help you target surveillance hours and locations more easily.
Pretext, you may need a pretext for the locals, your subject and for authorities. There is no easy pretext here if your carrying around expensive surveillance equipment. You must pre-text as a photographer, social media influencer or a companies PR department ideally to ensure your presence, equipment and other factors line up with your pretext.
Spy, you are a foreigner in this country, you are equipped with surveillance equipment, could you be accused of spying for another government? It sounds farfetched but the punishments can be severe so it is worth considering. I would avoid any politically unstable countries with little tourism due to this, however the job takes you where it takes you, be careful.
A trained Private Investigator with years of experience reveals the 3 things you must know about Open Source Intelligence in the context of Private Investigations.
How do Private Investigators find the information you are looking for? A detective working with Operant Investigators gives details on how OSINT provides significant data points for investigators.
To understand investigations you must understand OSINT, to understand it you need to know the 5 reasons why it is critical. All Private Investigators use it, this is why.
What types of overt photography do Private Investigators engage in and what equipment do they use?
A common problem all agents encounter, especially so in cities is the problem of parking. A good parking location for a vehicle is essential in ensuring line of sight (LOS) and gathering recordings behind tint or disguised. Now you may be thinking, you would solve this problem through foot surveillance. This isn't always helpful, residential areas may not have many people on foot nearby, there may be nowhere to sit or bled in and a host of other reasons may want your bottom firmly planted in a car seat for this one. So you arrive or even better, as part of a recce (reconnaissance) or planning, you notice a parking problem. I find it helpful to break up the different problems into categories, I will list the types of scenarios. 2 Primary types of areas Urban - City or Town Rural - Villages, farms, greenery or forests Primary types of problems No LOS - Cannot observe the property or points of egress LOS but too distant - Cannot record of observe with any accuracy or with the level of responsiveness needed LOS but blocked - Your vision is obstructed temporarily Too close - The risk of exposure is too high and no places further away are available Primary causes of problems Temporary blockage by vehicle - A behemoth has just parked in your LOS Double yellow lines - No parking here Single yellow lines - Restricted at certain times, they will always be the times you need to be their All spaces are in use - The most frequent issue Moved too many times already - You've been moving around frequently and are reaching a point where further movement between spaces will compromise the surveillance A mixture - A mix of the above It is incredibly frustrating when your turn up to perform your surveillance and have nowhere to park. You know the client will not be happy and your stuck in a tough spot. Parking for private investigators is an essential part of the work and for some cases is strictly required to ensure good results.
Who is able to hire a Private Investigator in the UK? Is it legal?
Can a Private Investigator access whatsapp messages? Can they see your private messages?
How much does a Private Investigator charges for their services, what kind of fees can you expect and what will the cost be?
Many people ask: "What do private investigators get hired for?" So, we've compiled a list: What do private investigators get hired for? 1. Surveillance. 2. Finding addresses. 3. Finding someone. 4. Verifying information. 5. Gathering intelligence for further action. However, this is not an exhaustive list of what a private investigator can do. There are many different applications and benefits of hiring a private investigator. Here are some of the benefits of hiring a private investigator: 1. Save money - Instead of dedicating an in-house employee to do the job, a quick and easy way would be to hire a PI short term to get the job done properly. 2. Save time - Time is money; private investigators investigate for a living, they can do the job quickly, professionally, and accurately getting the best results. The term 'Private Investigator is not that specific', but rather an umbrella term for people that act in the area of investigation - each with varying skill-sets and specialisations. Here are some of he common skill-sets a private investigator may specialise in. 1. Financial & Cryptocurrency investigations. 2. Business intelligence. 3. Surveillance. 4. Social engineering. 5. Tracing. 6. Fraud. 7. Background checks. 8. Employee absenteeism. 9. Property. 10. Company checks. Sometimes private investigators are picking up the pieces of a previous investigation, and can include many of these above listed investigations in one case.
The penal code review in France which made Private Investigator use in civil proceedings legal.