Safety

[Jockey]

Just a short note of something that by passes many surveillance operatives working on day to day activities and that is the topic of safety. As an operative on the road you have some much to think of and the pressure is always on by the client or surveillance manager in the office to get a result, film ev everything the subject is doing, be there be here be everywhere and it's full on...But one thing that you can only control in this occupation is your safety while on the job. Every new job you take on must be planned and calculated and this day and age technology makes it easier with the use of Google maps and neap programs. First thing you do when you go to check a subject's address is check out the area and establish the economic value of the area..this can be done quite simple by looking at the houses and vehicles in the area...The next is to establish a suitable OP (observation post) where you can sight the subject's house or vehicle movement from the address and most important is while your watching the subject address, who is watching you?...This is where you need to be aware of your safety...Remember surveillance is about covert and not to noticed and draw attention to yourself and blend in best where possible...So your safety is very important while on the job and you should never become complacent with this...This topic can continue on regarding mobile surveillance and being aware if a subject is carrying out anti surveillance on the operative and how can you tell!!! Look forward to others input re this topic...

REMEMBER....BE AWARE and BE ALERT at all times....

[chrisr]

Couldn't agree more. I don't do a lot of surveillance but I do other activities in the field, and it always pays to have good situational awareness, and area familiarity. Just because a process serve only takes a couple of minutes doesn't mean you should skimp on the planning - knowing what's nearby, getting a feel for the area, knowing where the cop shop is if trouble flares, nearest emergency room, all that stuff that hopefully you'll never ever need, but if you do, you'll be glad you know how to get help and look after yourself when the poo hits the fan!

[PI777]

All of those points are true guys. Pick your surveillance positions well, be aware of anyone who realises you are there, try to wear clothing that suits your environment. There are a lot of little tricks that you can do to either remain covert or divert peoples attention if they have noticed you there.

If you can be on top of all the points outlined in these posts then you reduce the risk of any confrontation and subsequently avoid possible harm to yourself.

All the best