In order to successfully carry out electronic surveillance, an investigator must obtain a legal order from the court. In a situation where an investigator is taking a statement of a youth under the age of 18, industry practice is for the investigator to contact the parents or legal guardians to obtain permission to conduct the interview. There are also times when a person may be uncooperative and try to avoid service.

These online tools enable investigators to conduct searches utilizing the subject’s name that may provide business and personal profiles.

Surveillance techniques practiced by private investigators can prove to be quite valuable to plaintiffs and defendants in civil matters, divorces or custodial disputes, spouses who suspect infidelity from their partner, and even in criminal and personal injury case types. It could involve a private investigator waiting at a location the subject is known to frequent or even following the person. Questions that should be asked include (but are not limited to): “What is the specific information/service being requested?”; “For what purpose does the client require this information?”; “Is the request for information justified, or would it be considered ‘frivolous’?”; “Is obtaining this information lawful according to federal, provincial or municipal laws (e.g. Investigators should make sure notes and observations are recorded as soon as possible. This chapter on surveillance deals mostly with practical techniques used by many private investigators. They should be familiar with the different types of situational reports (e.g. Basic locator techniques and pre-investigation are the basis for all investigations. It’s better to be prepared when nature calls. Be prepared. When people think of a private investigator watching someone, this is the method they most commonly think of. Searches at the public library may also assist in confirmation of the outdated contact information and provide other resources to search. These practices also apply to evidence that is not physical in nature. The police will lay any charges they see fit with the evidence supplied to the client. In this day and age, there are many ways to keep tabs on people electronically. Ensure that your surveillance investigator provides you with a contract that includes the case with an itemized list of services, expenses, so you know what you are paying for. According to the Ibrahim Rule, for a statement to be admissible, it must be taken under oath and clear of duress. Stationary monitoring means the technique of using recording equipments or camera to keep an eye on the convict. When assessing a witness statement, the most important factor to document is the value, credibility and honesty of the information provided. A client may target specific infractions for the operator to observe and collect evidence of, however the operator may observe infractions the client is not aware of, and should therefore observe and report on all possible infractions or criminal acts observed, company policies that are breached or health and safety infractions. It should also be recorded in the handwritten or typed statement that the witness gave the information of their own free will. Most libraries keep back issues of newspapers either on microfiche or CD-ROM. Some of this is information people willingly give out to friends on social media. Overview . Mechanical surveillance methods have been generating great results over time mainly because of the abundance of information collected without using any person as pawn. Should an investigator find that any of this information is missing, they should consult the file to locate it or contact their office to confirm if the information is known and may have been overlooked.

Any errors discovered before swearing to the accuracy must be corrected. Therefore, there are less chances of detection by the subject. Other devices such GPS and remote camera may also be utilized when necessary.

In cases where all previous address and contact information is no longer valid, it may be necessary to conduct an extensive background search. There are some key differences however. At some point of your life, you might have read any detective novel or seen any crime thriller movie.

We do not intend to dishearten you, but unfortunately, investigators have to follow certain boring techniques to dig the truth. Mechanical surveillance can be broadly classified into Electronic Monitoring and Stationary monitoring. Based on the storyline, there must have been situations when the protagonists have faced their nemesis in a one-to-one showdown. Before beginning an investigation of this nature it is essential that the investigator take the time to properly identify with the client a justifiable mandate for conducting the investigation. When physical evidence is presented at a trial, a chain of custody of the uninterrupted control of evidence must be clearly shown; the evidence must be properly identified and must be relevant to the case before the court. A private investigator should follow these rules accordingly. The detection of a private investigator's presence in an area will compromise his future activities there. This document could be issued by either party to compel an individual to appear in court to testify.

For this purpose, there is no requirement to be licensed as a private investigator. Bugs can be... Night Vision – Most crimes happen at night and this is a fact in most parts of the world.

Finally, keep a roll or toilet paper in your surveillance vehicle.

Private investigators should have a thorough knowledge of research techniques, surveillance techniques, interviewing techniques, industry specific equipment and how to collect and preserve evidence. To access court records, look up information here. A private investigator may deal with civil matters that involve the Superior Court of Justice, small claims and family courts. legal or insurance) as well as basic report writing protocols such as: date, time, location, actions/behaviours, description of individuals, observations, time of completion, etc. Standard surveillance reports should always include identifying information at the beginning of each report as follows: Private investigators may receive a subpoena and be called upon to testify in court in relation to a case they dealt with, and may therefore be asked to recall specific details about the case, so it is imperative for the investigator to keep thorough and accurate notes. (the following is standard equipment, but may vary from one assignment to the next). Call us at (888) 997-4669. The person or entity initiating an action is known as the plaintiff and the person or entity being sued is the defendant. A lien may be placed on that property by the secured party and registered with the PPSR. You might be thinking that action is the bread and butter of a detective’s life. The heavy traffic and stop lights of city driving make it easy to lose sight of a vehicle. Marital infidelity investigations are a good example of this. When it is apparent that the interview is over, be courteous and close the conversation. Usually surveillance results in documenting the subject’s activities by capturing them on video or photographs, which are considered to be illustrative evidence. A private investigator may be called upon to perform interviews and take witness statements. Even if one loses sight, the other one has the capability to cover the scene. An objective medium such as video allows actions, behaviors, and events to be displayed in a straightforward manner. The investigator should allow the parents to be present during such interviews. Surveillance is one of the most common reasons that people hire a private investigator. In some instances, the investigator may need to have the named party show identification. Typically, private investigators will go undercover when they are required to investigate workplace-related issues. Review the information you have already obtained and determine what kind of information you want to gather. Other key information as per company policy, such as weather conditions, description of video equipment, description of the neighbourhood where the surveillance was conducted, etc.

The purpose of covert surveillance is to observe persons, places or things without being detected, and to observe the subject in their natural and true state. Mobile surveillance is indeed an art form. Riddle was correct. When conducting an interview, private investigators should keep the following common practices in mind: The key purpose of taking a statement from a witness is to ensure an accurate record of the recollection of an event exists.

Therefore, it has the potential to pose the most concern to the individual being investigated and/or members of the general public. When giving a statement, the witness may drift from subject to subject without following a specific structure. Take your time ending the interview. Those differences aside, here are a few great tricks that both cops and surveillance private investigators can use: This is just a sample of a few private investigator surveillance techniques. To prevent the commission of an act or to apprehend a subject in the commission of an act. Other entities which could become part of the action, usually named by the defendant, are known as third parties. It is crucial to identify clearly the person that is being served, both at the time of service and by affirming it in the Affidavit. Often the client or client’s lawyer will instruct the private investigator fully as to the expectations for service and the completion of the Affidavit of Service. by private investigators can have a major impact on a legal matter as video evidence, holds the highest evidentiary value.". In this report, you should include all pertinent information. The Internet contains a vast wealth of information in online databases with records updated regularly. may also be found. Generally, this method is especially useful because it provides a record and evidence that can potentially be used in court.

For example, it would not be possible to conduct surveillance without knowledge of the subject’s address. Public libraries stock many useful publications and directories including telephone books, business indexes, trade magazines and yearbooks. This could lead a cheating spouse to go to their lover’s house or for someone committing insurance fraud to take off an unnecessary neck brace. There is a delicate balance between an investigator’s “paranoia” and actual reasons to believe the surveillance may have been detected. A document must be served in the manner prescribed by the Rules of Civil Procedure.