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Private Investigator Surveillance and Parking

17 January 2022

The parking problem - Covert Surveillance solutions for agents

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.

Some of the most straightforward answers and the first line of defence to these problems are as follows:


- Take the parking ticket on the chin, clear it with the client first, or take it as an expense

- Arrive very early with a friend, drop your car off in a good position, and then return at the required time with the vehicle already in place

- If suitable flush and with no need to drive quickly, speak with a neighbour who has an overlooking window or balcony, you will need some cash with you & possibly a bird-watching book

- Consider points of egress and plan to watch the exit to the road, perhaps it is a 1 way road or  a cul de sac, perfect

- Consider a 2 man team


Less kosher tips with more risk


- Cone off a space with mini cones the day before

- Use a fake parking ticket to push someone out, it's nice to write sorry inside the ticket, 50/50 they drive off first or look at the ticket first

- Consider a GPS Tracker to assist with the surveillance, the ABI has guidance on this


More advanced solutions


Bluetooth of Wi-Fi-based trail cameras can offer wireless nearby viewing of areas outside of your LOS. Set up to monitor the direction of movement, there will be a delay between actions and viewing on the monitor.


Movement alarms, PIR sensors, and other types of sensors can offer the ability to monitor if a person or object moves past a placed sensor. This technology can be expensive.


Map and route analysis. Use what we know about the individual to predict the likely route and park along the route. Mixed chance of success however in some circumstances, case by case-by-case usefulness. Make sure to do this using Open Office Calc or Excel and predict the chances of each route being utilised.


Long-range monitoring with appropriate gear. Look at satellite images and do a recce, there may be LOS at quite a distance. May be suited to a 2 man team but can be possible solo in the right circumstances.

If none of this solves the problem

If you really cannot find an alterative method to this problem then you need to speak to the client in advance and either get a parking ticket authorised (you may never get a ticket), authorise multi visit short hour stints with an extension when parking is found or authorise a 2 person team.


If they won't then the job isn't for you or you need to come back later with fresh eyes and see if you can find a compromise.

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