What can private investigators do that I can not?
Private Investigator’s have access to several information databases that are not available to the general public. But more importantly they have the training and experience needed to transform the raw data into actionable information.
To list all of the advantages of using a experienced private investigator is outside of the scope of this website as the information could fill a book or two. But the main point comes down to judgments made from experience. Most investigators have thousands if not tens of thousands of hours of experience working on investigations. To consistently conduct a successful surveillance and mobile surveillance you need an experienced investigator. Could you sit in a vehicle and take pictures and drive behind someone, sure! The downside is when you get caught or confronted by the police you can get injured or into serious trouble. Additionally, now you have lost the valuable element of surprise. Don’t put yourself into a dangerous situation and compromise the discretion of an investigation by trying to do it yourself.
Having a professional licensed investigators report admitted into court or having them testify on your behalf also carries a lot more weight then trying to get evidence admitted that you collected yourself.
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I have already been to the police can I still use a private investigator?
Yes, regardless of if the police are looking into a matter or not you can retain the services of a private investigator. In a lot of cases the private investigators will work in conjunction with the police and conduct there own detailed interviews and evidence collection. Private investigators have the advantage of working on one case at a time and can apply the focus and dedication needed to effectively solve cases that are still being worked on by the police. An experienced investigator will also know when to “back off” as to not interfere with the investigation, knowing how to effectively keep pressure on the police without crossing the line into interfering is a skill that many private investigators have mastered. It is important to check references and ask detailed questions about an investigator’s experience.
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What happens on a surveillance?
There are several types of and reasons for a surveillance. But the key principles are the same for most types of surveillance’s.
The objective is normally to keep tabs on an individual or groups of individuals and determine/document the activities. With this in mind the investigator will locate a discrete surveillance position where the activities can be monitored while still allowing for continued surveillance if the target departs. There are a lot of factors the investigator will have to consider while selecting the surveillance position including but not limited to:
Most likely route of departure
Traffic conditions
Neighborhood( will the surveillance vehicle be noticed by neighbors)
How close can the investigator get without the target noticing.
How many routes of departure are there.
An experienced investigator will inform you if additional investigators are needed to conduct a surveillance. This is common in areas where on street parking is limited or not practical or there are several logical ways out of a neighborhood. One experienced investigator can handle most surveillance’s but it is important to listen to an investigator when they say more than one is needed in order to save money in the long run. Additionally, in urban areas where the target is likely to take public transportation or be dropped off/picked up by an individual the success rate is drastically increased when more then one investigator is on the case.
When conducting surveillance on a spouse or partner, the Private Investigator will first determine the best schedule for surveillance with you. Once on surveillance, all visible activity will be recorded on videotape. Should your spouse or partner enter a public location, such as a bar or shopping center, covert videotape will be obtained where possible.
It is also important not to interfere with the investigation. This includes driving past the area or performing checks of your own. As tempting as this may be, it can ruin a surveillance if your vehicle is noticed by the other party. Additionally it can put your safety and the safety of the investigator’s at risk.For this reason it is in many retainer contract that you are not allowed to be in the area that is under surveillance. This is also why most investigators will not provide updates while on the surveillance as it is often construed as an invitation for trouble.
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