When you think of surveillance, you probably picture a scene straight out of a Hollywood movie or maybe a law enforcement officer sneaking through an alleyway or snapping photos from a hidden vantage point with a giant camera. While those moments can be thrilling, they rarely reflect the real art of surveillance. In fact, every time I watch one of these movie scenes, I find myself jumping out of the seat wishing Hollywood would consult someone with actual surveillance experience. Why? Because the truth is, surveillance can be far more strategic, covert, and exciting than the dramatic portrayals we see on screen. With an active surveillance operation, more often than not you will find yourself constantly moving, weaving traffic in a way that’s strategic, not unsafe and does not indicate to the flow of traffic that your racing around. This can be much more difficult than what your probably picturing as your vehicle is the number one thing the subject will likely remember. We don’t follow people down alleyways and more often than not, we’re so discreet that the subject wont even be able to see our vehicle in the rearview without extensive effort to locate and identify us.
At Galloway Investigations, surveillance isn’t just about watching someone. It’s a meticulous process of monitoring and documenting all the activities of a subject, often in relation to a criminal or civil investigation such as fraud, theft, or infidelity. We take surveillance seriously as we understand that what your subject does, could seriously impact your case.
The Process:
Our surveillance process begins long before we ever hit the field. The first step is a preliminary investigation. This involves gathering relevant details about the subject’s habits and lifestyle, often through a combination of social media research and database searches. We look for important identifiers, such as:
- Vehicle details
- Unique physical traits (e.g., how often they wear their hair a certain way or their grooming habits)
- Stickers or decals on their vehicle
- Family dynamics
We compile this into a preliminary investigative report that is then shared with our clients, providing them with a clear overview of the subject’s background and helping us craft a tailored surveillance strategy.
Planning Surveillance: Timing is Everything
Once we’ve gathered all the necessary information, we start planning the surveillance operation. The timing of surveillance is key to its success, and we schedule our efforts around periods when the subject is most likely to be active. This could mean focusing on weekends, after-work hours, or even times when the subject might be engaged in activities at work. Every moment counts to our clients and establishing a schedule and documenting every minute of activity is paramount to the clients success.
Laying the Groundwork: Preparing for the Field
Before we even begin tailing the subject, we conduct a thorough analysis of the neighborhood where the subject resides. Some key questions we always ask include:
- How many access points are there to the neighborhood?
- Is there street parking available?
- Will I be able to blend into the neighborhood?
- Can I easily follow the subject without raising suspicion?
Answering these questions is critical for ensuring a successful surveillance operation. Often, the most challenging part of surveillance is when the subject leaves their home. This is where careful planning and positioning come into play.
For instance, if a subject lives in a rural HOA community with few access points and no street parking, we may choose to park away from the neighborhood, observing the entrance and exit points instead. In contrast, if the subject lives in a densely populated area with street parking and multiple access points, we may blend in by parking near other cars on the street.
However, surveillance in busy neighborhoods can present its own set of challenges. You might encounter curious neighbors or even have law enforcement get involved. That’s why it’s crucial to contact local police in advance to let them know about the surveillance and the timeline for the operation as this helps prevent misunderstandings and keeps everything above board.
The Art of Following: Staying Under the Radar
Once the subject leaves their home, it’s time to follow them. Surveillance is all about staying out of sight while keeping a close eye on your subject, which is often easier said than done. That’s where the skill of “Rubber Banding” comes in. This technique involves maintaining a safe distance at intersections and adjusting your position to stay hidden. By increasing the distance at the start of an intersection and closing the gap at the next, we ensure we’re never too close or too far.
Another valuable technique is the use of buffer cars which is essentially letting other vehicles get between you and the subject. This keeps your presence concealed and allows for a smoother following experience. For more advanced operations, especially in sensitive cases, our team utilizes paralleling. A method where we follow the subject on parallel streets to keep them in sight without raising suspicion.
Infiltrating the Destination: The Final Step
Once the subject reaches their destination, it’s the investigator’s responsibility to document the time, location, and any pertinent details. If the surveillance continues inside, covert cameras are deployed to capture the subject’s activities while maintaining the same discreet observation as we did when they were on the move.
When the subject prepares to leave the location, the investigator must leave the scene first, repositioning themselves for the next phase of the operation. Whether it’s a change in surveillance location or the subject’s next destination, we ensure the investigation stays efficient and undetected.
Wearing Disguises: An Exciting and Necessary activity
We get asked this all the time from friends and family, do you really wear disguises? Yes, frequently in fact. One of the most important tools to have in your arsenal for a situation in which the subject is doing things all day is the ability to change both the appearance of yourself and your vehicle. We carry around high visibility apparel, construction equipment, different outfits and even hazard cones. These all play a role in maintaining a covert investigation, during a tail and at destinations; you can change your appearance so the subject doesn’t “see” the same person twice, they only observe them. The same can be said with your vehicle, throw something into the dash that stands out like a high visibility vest or hard hat and cover your seat with construction equipment and the subject more likely than not, will be none the wiser. Even if they manage to get a good look at your vehicle twice, one has construction equipment in it and another doesn’t, so why should they assume you aren’t minding your own business or it’s even the same vehicle? With that said, odds are the subject may look over their shoulder occasionally or look your direction but that’s why disguises are important. They wont see the same person or vehicle twice, only observe someone wearing a high visibility vest, or your chosen outfit for that moment. Odds are, they wont even look you in the eyes and think twice about you.
Calling it Quits: The Golden Rule
This may be a circumstance that deserves it’s own post but is relative to disguises. As covered, disguises play a critical role in remaining covert in an investigation, but there are limits. For instance, if the subject stares at you or makes inconsistent and even directionless travel. It may be an indication that they they are suspicious of your efforts which brings us to our golden rule. Always, remain behind the subject, don’t hold eye contact and never speak with them unless absolutely necessary. Some clients have a no contact order in place and any contact initiated from the investigator could have serious consequences. While our disguises and efforts are intended to throw the subject off, they aren’t intended as efforts to withstand scrutiny. Any indication from the subject of scrutiny such as efforts of communication, extended eye contact, assessment of your driving behaviors or activity is strong indication that surveillance needs to be terminated and the client informed. Stick behind the subject, and watch everything they do not just for documentation, but for the integrity of the investigation.
Why Choose Galloway Investigations?
At Galloway Investigations, we combine cutting-edge surveillance techniques with a commitment to professionalism and discretion. Whether you’re dealing with a case of suspected fraud, infidelity, or another personal investigation, our team is here to provide you with the results you need.
Surveillance isn’t just about watching someone from afar—it’s about collecting valuable information, all while staying hidden in plain sight. Contact us today for a free consultation, and let us show you how our expertise can help solve your investigation with precision and confidentiality.