Be Your Own Detective Surveillance Tip - Conducting Moving Surveillance

OK, we are talking about the tail. If you have a TV detective car like a fancy sports car or classic muscle car, you will be noticed in a heartbeat. TV badguys are blind to such thing, but not real life people.

Not like this:

Not even like this:

This still won't cut it.

Maybe something like this...

Or maybe like this:

If at all possible have a team of at least two, if not three chase vehicles. With one car it is very hard to not be "made." With multiple vehicles you can pass the car off you are following to each other.If you cannot do that, try the following tips: (get it, following tips? - I know, bad!)

The first tip is to have a nondescript car of nondescript color. Like the pewter color sedans and such. A four door is better than a two door. In Texas, and some other places a pickup or Suburban is as "non descript" as the next car. No brite color cars with distinctive features - so those of you with your "pimped out" rides with spinners are out of luck.

The next tip is to use cover. Not hard cover as in a gunfight, but cover as in keeping vehicles between you and the car you are tailing. If they pull into a parking lot or down a neighborhood street, try to avoid using the same street and entrance. Be aware of traffic light problems. Pay attention to where the vehicle you are following is going, you may be able to parrallel it in some cities.

The point is, it is nothing like TV, do not be too close, but sometimes in traffic with signals, you need to be close enough to make the lights.

...and most of all, Be Safe!

Surveillance Tip - Static Vehicle Surveillance

When you want to be your own detective, sometimes you need to conduct static vehicle surveillance, you must be far enough away and inconspicuous. If you can see them, they can see you.




You can get close if you have the proper surveillance vehicle (like the ones shown). Otherwise, you will stand out like a sore thumb.














Here are some common things that give you away: On hot days, air conditioner condensation pooled under the vehicle. On cold days, the heated exhaust can be seen from the running engine. What am I saying here? If you need to keep the engine running - you are likely to be noticed. Where I am from in South Texas, you cannot sit in a closed vehicle in the Summer and survive. The temperature will get hot enough inside most cars to cook meat. So you will need special equipment or to keep the car running with the A/C on to keep from being cooked alive.

Here are some handy tips:

• So, stay way back. If possible become "invisible."
• An appropriate magnetic sign (like a cable company or termite service) with a hard hat and worker's vest can make you much less of a worry to people who do see you parked.
• Have a pee bottle. Yeah you may have to wait a while and a pee bottle can be a life saver.
• Do NOT take a big Gulp or other ginormous drink with you (see above).
• Make sure your camera/video recorder has good batteries
• Have a pen and pad handy to take notes. (on a clipboard is better and it goes with the hard hat)
• If you have a team (can be just a friend) Switch vehicles and locations.
• If you can park in a crowded parking lot, that gives you great cover, and you are a lot less likely to be noticed.
• The Best Tip - do surveillance from a building instead of a vehicle.

Note: if the Police come to check you out, you are busted. You may want to tell them what you are doing, since being a stalker is against the law. If they look in the car and see the notes and the camera, they are likely to know what you are doing. You could make up a story about suspecting that your spouse has a girlfriend/boyfriend in the neighborhood (unless that really is what you are doing). Or you could say you were supposed to meet someone about buying a dog. The main point is, if the Police check you out - you were standing out, and you need to try something else.

I hope these tips help you to "be your own detective"

Stay Safe!