Counter surveillance techniques form a major part of any professional private investigators toolkit, whether they include expensive and new technology or just the private investigator using his or her streetwise skills. In this post we will be looking at why and how this is the case.
Needing to avoid being noticed by the target:
Counter surveillance. Any competent private detective will tell you that in order to observe a target for any length of time, they must first avoid being seen by the target. If you know you are under the beady eyes of an investigator, your behaviour is bound to change. The investigator may employ several low tech counter surveillancing techniques including disguises or swapping over followers with other members of his or her team.
Needing to overcome counter surveillance techniques:
Before the investigator spends a lot of time trying to catch the target in the act, they need to find out if the target has put any counter surveillance techniques in place. In order to do this, he or she must have a good idea what they may be up against, and so the investigator should be able to tell when these methods are being used in order to thwart their own investigations.
Being hired for counter surveillance jobs:
One of the most common reasons that a private investigator is hired in a business setting, is to carry out a counter surveillance job or bug sweep. This often utilises technical devices, although even though something as simple as noticing interference on a car radio or phone line can indicate that you are under electronic surveillance . A professional private investigator would have the right technology to be able to detect listening devices. There are a lot of devices that can be used by the professional private investigator and each one will have their own favourites. Here are a few general types:
- Audio Jammers – come in all shapes and sizes and with a range of prices. They work on any device that has a microphone and a wiretapping device fitted.
- Compromised Phone Jammers – they stop people listening in on your phone calls and stop the phone being used as a recording device.
- Video Bug Detectors – these days surveillance cameras can be hidden anywhere, of course there are now devices that can pinpoint the exact position of even the smallest cameras within their range.
As always, we take this opportunity to remind you that here at Alpha 1 Legal Services we will always operate within the law.
