Have you ever wondered what surveillance equipment a private investigator keeps close when they are on a surveillance stakeout or attempting to catch a cheating husband or wife?
This post will answer that question for you. However, it is worth noting that new technologies are released regularly and so there may be ‘gadgets’ not on the list by the time you are reading it, that really should be.
What type of surveillance equipment is used?
- Starting with a few obvious essentials: A well-maintained car. A good investigator should also ensure that they have everything that you need for routine maintenance, such as fixing a puncture or changing a tyre. Enough snacks and drinks to keep the investigator going through a long stint of surveillance. Toilet paper is a must for when you’re caught short, along with a he/she wee.
- A Vehicle Tracking System: If the investigator can place the tracking system on the target vehicle, they should have the means to view the data in the car by using another essential tool, a smart phone, then should they lose the car that they are tailing they can then pick up the trail easily. This technology is also great if there is more than one subject under surveillance and they separate.
- Global Positioning System: Always a useful tool to plan routes, but with the additional benefit of being able to predict the route of the subject so that they can decide when to pull back, for example if the subject turns into a road that is a dead end.
- Window Shades: Dark and plain window shades not only keep the inside of the car more bearable during the hot summer months, they enable the investigator to be more discreet when taking pictures or video for evidence as they obscure the view into your car of people passing by.
- Cameras and video equipment are a must for recording the evidence. There is a huge list of different ones you can use and it’s probably worth keeping a few different ones from little buttonhole cameras through to those with a telephoto lens in the car.
- Finally, clothes. Keep a clean change of clothes and some toiletries in the boot for cases that take longer than planned. Waterproofs are also a good idea because there is a good chance that at some point while out on a surveillance job they will get caught in a downpour.
This is just a sample of the surveillance equipment that a private investigator would need to keep in their car for a stint of surveillance.
Please remember that all surveillance and tracking work must be carried out in compliance with the law.
