Carrying out a surveillance operation: As a private detective you should have the following skills and knowledge before conducting any surveillance operation.
Anyone can follow someone or their vehicle but the art of surveying without being seen is an art which is developed over many years of practice.
As a surveillance operative I regularly learn something new on operations, whether this is on mobile surveillance, static, technical or combined surveillance.
For the basic level operative he or she should be able to prepare and plan the surveillance by: • Specifying its objectives and working to them.
• Obtaining, where appropriate, the authority to carry it out.
• Identifying and allocating resources.
• Choosing and using appropriate, ethically acceptable and legal surveillance methods.
• Checking that any equipment to be used is working properly.
• Ensuring, if others are to be involved in the surveillance, that they know and understand their roles and their responsibilities.
• Recce the subject's location.
• Locate and occupy the correct surveillance start position.
• Use surveillance equipment in accordance with legal requirements and manufacturers' or suppliers' instructions.
•Take prompt and appropriate action if contact with the subject is lost.
• Maintain, when required, communication with others who are contributing to the surveillance.
• Record and when required, relay to others who are contributing to the surveillance, accurate information about observed subjects.
• Operate in a manner which protects the well being of everyone involved in the surveillance.
• Accurately transcribe written or recorded surveillance notes.
• Confirm the extent to which the quality, quantity and relevance of recorded information supports the surveillance objectives.
• Handle and store written and recorded information in ways which preserves its security, confidentiality, integrity and value as evidence.
• Collate, analyse and interpret the information obtained during the surveillance and in the required format, report findings.
You should also know and understand: • Those aspects of current legislation, regulations, standards of behaviour and guidelines relating to surveillance activities.
• Different surveillance techniques and tactics and how and when they should be used.
• The limitations and capabilities of technical equipment and the importance of using it in accordance with manufacturer's guidelines and legal and regulatory requirements.
• How to recognise and cope with constraints and prepare contingency plans for dealing with problems which might arise.
• What to do if surveillance contact is lost.
• How to gather record and store information gathered during surveillance activity and decide its quality, sufficiency and relevance.
• How to handle and securely store written or recorded information to protect its quality, confidentiality and value as evidence.
• How to carry out surveillance activities whilst maintaining the health and safety of themselves and others.
Remember surveillance is an art and not to be carried out by the untrained, it takes many years to get up to the standards required.