A How-To Guide-
PART ONE IN A SERIES OF ONLINE ARTICLES
"PREPARATION AND PLANNING"
by LENNY VASBINDER, P.I.
After reading this series of on-line articles, you will not be an expert on the art of conducting a surveillance. You will have a pretty good idea of what a real Private Investigator (also called Private Detective in some areas) goes through while preparing your case for surveillance and conducting the actual surveillance.
Unlike television where the P.I. is always sitting under a nice shade tree in a red or yellow convertible sports car, the real P.I. is probably sweating or freezing his or her tail off inside a van, car or SUV. It's usually either 95 degrees or 30 degrees and you are locked inside your vehicle with the windows nearly closed and no air-conditioning in the summer or heat in the winter. That�s right, most of the time, you can�t leave your vehicle running while trying to be inconspicuous. Nor can you sit in that convertible and start photographing or videotaping your subject in clear view of the neighborhood. All you are left with is sitting in that hot or cold vehicle trying to remain inconspicuous.
If you are planning to conduct a surveillance on your own, please research the laws in your State to make sure you are not in violation of the various Stalking, Peeping-Tom and Private Investigator Licensing laws.
Another thing to remember is that unlike television, real Private Investigators spend 80% of the surveillance sitting and waiting for something to happen. It can be very tedious and time consuming work and is far more monotonous than television makes it out to be. BUT... when things start to happen, the adrenaline rush is better than starring in your own hit show!
A TYPICAL SURVEILLANCE...
would require at least two investigators, with an assortment of available cars, cameras and video equipment with telescopic lenses, radios or cell phones and a back up investigator in the event of an emergency, accident or much needed sleep! But, lets be realistic, most people cannot afford two investigators working long hours on their case, so it will normally be just you, your vehicle(s) and your equipment.
Your vehicle(s) should be normal looking vehicles. No flashy eye-catching vehicles should ever be used for obvious reasons. You are trying to blend in and be inconspicuous.
Besides the obvious camera, binoculars and video equipment, you should also have a small hand held tape recorder with fresh batteries and several new blank tapes. It is much easier to dictate your notes later, rather than try to write them down during your investigation or memorize that license plate that you want to run. Also have an assortment of pens, pads, maps, flashlights and other typical office and vehicle equipment.
Here are some of the other items I routinely bring along:
- Enough snack bars, energy bars and other easily consumable food items to hold you over till your next regular meal.
- An Ice Chest with several frozen gallon jugs of water (with screw-on caps) during the summer months. At least one for every four hours of surveillance that you are planning. As the ice melts, you have cold fresh water to drink, and after the jug is empty, you have a port-a-potty! That's why you want the screw-on caps. That's right... you do not get to leave your surveillance to go to the bathroom.
- Several high quality garbage bags and toilet paper in the event mother nature comes calling in other ways. Hmmmm... not sounding like TV at all anymore... is it!
- Several towels during the summer to wipe the sweat off with, or blankets during the winter to keep as warm as possible.
- Several changes of clothes in the event the surveillance turns into one of those 36-hour marathons. Yes, I've had what I thought would be a simple surveillance turn into a 36-hour marathon. Luckily, when I was following my subject on foot in the French Quarter that next morning, I had changed clothes and freshened up or I would have probably been mistaken for some stinking bum!
- Different hats, caps and sunglasses to minutely alter your appearance from time to time.
- Well... you get the idea! These are just some of the basics. Every case will be different and you have to think through all the different scenarios and plan on what other supplies and clothes/outfits you will need.
PRIOR TO CONDUCTING THE FIRST SURVEILLANCE...
you should do one or more drive-by's of the areas where your subject lives or regularly visits. Take notes of places where you could set up your surveillance to have the best possible view of your subject without being too close. Remember that you will have binoculars and telephoto lenses and want to stay far enough away so your subject does not see you.
Study maps of the area and check out all of the ways in and out of the area and parallel routes in the event your subject takes a very quiet street. You do not want to be the only other vehicle following your subject vehicle. Remember that your subject may have lived there all his/her life and you need to know all of the other routes and short cuts also.
NOTIFYING THE POLICE...
is always a big question for Private Investigators and must be decided on a case by case basis. If you are in a very busy area, you can usually get by without being noticed by a nosey neighbor, but if you need to set up in a quiet neighborhood or cul-de-sac, it would probably be best if you notify the local Police first. The last thing you need is a Police car pulling up behind you with its lights and siren on, announcing on their P.A., "PLEASE EXIT YOUR VEHICLE WITH YOUR HANDS UP!"
(CONTINUED IN PART TWO - SETTING UP THE STATIONARY AND PLANNING THE MOBILE SURVEILLANCE)
Lenny Vasbinder, P.I.
[email protected]
Ofc - (504) 621-1870
Fax - (413) 318-0742
2002, 2003, 2004, 2005-Copyright-Lenny Vasbinder
