When I tell my clients and other PI’s that I have been doing surveillance for more than 13 years, have worked more than 6,500 surveillances and have only been confronted by the person less than 10 times, they usually look at me in disbelief. The fact is, knowing when to back off during a surveillance is as much an art as the actual technique of surveillance. When talking to clients, they usually tell me horror stories about cases that other PI’s have blown during surveillance. I can tell you one thing, a client does not enjoy having the subject call them in an irrate manner demanding an explanation as to why someone was watching them. I can also assure you that when this happens, it will be the last case you receive from that client.

Most PI’s are very competitive by nature and feel that letting the subject go for the time being is the same as failure. In actuality, nothing is further from the truth. If you continue to follow the subject until they become suspicious, you have blown the case and any chances of getting the person to conduct their affairs without altering their activity. When you deliberately let the person go and discontinue the surveillance, the case is still viable and there is always “another day.” The attitude associated with “loosing” a person is the first obstacle to overcome before being able to make this just another successful surveillance technique.

Most “rookie” PI’s who do surveillance go through a normal stage of learning in which they think everytime they follow someone the person “is on to them.” This is just part of maturing as a good PI, but it is an attitude that has to be dealt with quickly. The general public actually has no idea how surveillance is conducted and they pay very little attention to their surroundings. Think of it, can you remember the vehicle that was behind you the last time you were driving somewhere? What about those cars that are 6-7 cars behind you in the next lane over? Unless you stay glued to the person’s bumper or make some type of irregular or irratic movement, the subject will more than likely have no idea your anywhere around.

There are those times, however, when even the best PI feels somewhat compromised. Following a vehicle in a residential area when they have turned onto 8-9 streets and you are the only other vehicle anywhere around starts to conjure up these types of anxieties. After a while, you begin to feel like your in a parade with only two vehicles in the parade. Just because you follow a person on a lot of different streets does not mean that they are paying attention to you. There are characteristics to watch for such as how often the person looks in the rear-view mirror and side mirrors. If the person starts to slow their vehicle uncharacteristically, this may be an indication or it may simply mean that they are hunting for an address. If the person has other occupants in the car, they will be distracted by talking. The inside of most vehicles can be viewed from a distance and the PI should pay attention to the activities of the driver. For instance, are they putting on make-up while driving, drinking coffee, eating, singing to the radio? If so, they will be less likely to pay attention to you and this should be a factor in your decision to back off or to stay with them.

PI’s get into a bad habit of just following the subject without thinking ahead. When this occurs, your setting yourself up for a fall. I teach my investigators to always think ahead when following a subject. As an example, as your driving on a highway, think of the exits coming up and try to determine where the claimant may be going (is their doctor up ahead, a relative’s house). At the same time, you should be forming some type of thought in your mind regarding a pre-text. What if the subject lured you off the highway and into traffic where you had no way out and the subject approached your car? Think of a reason why you are in that area of town. The old excuse of “I’m lost” doesn’t hold much weight.

When following a subject, you should always try to act like you are just anyone else heading to work. If you get stuck in traffic behind the subject, look off to the sides so that they can’t get a good look at your face and make it appear as if you are interested in something you see nearby. You can also drink coffee, act like your singing, adjust a contact or something similar that would make the person believe you are not interested in them. As obvious as it sounds, I have seen too many PI’s do this, so I will express the concern: never, never talk on a radio when close enough to the subject for them to see. In fact, I don’t even like to talk on a cellular phone when they can see.

When all of your tactics have been used to keep up with the person and you still feel “naked”, back-off! There is nothing wrong with backing off. This is when your artistic writing ability comes into play. It doesn’t look good in a report if you suggest the person was suspicious of you. Afterall, your a professional and they assigned you the case to prevent detection from occurring. You can always indicate that the person turned their right turn signal on and you cut across a parking lot in an attempt to “cut them off at the pass,” but the subject went straight and you got hung up in traffic. There are all kinds of viable ways to cover and side-step the issue without making yourself appear unprofessional. When this occurs on the same case more than once, however, you need to address the possibility of re-assigning the case to another of your investigators, changing vehicles or using more than one PI. Pushing the limits of the case will only end up with negative results. Backing off from time-to-time is legitimate and enables you to maintain the case, the client and your professional respect.

tecSPIDER.com is proud to have Mr. Kelly Riddle as a contributing author. Among Mr. Riddle’s accolades: The National Assoc. of Investigative Specialists (NAIS) selected Mr. Riddle as the "Investigator of the Year", Chosen the #1 PI in the U.S. by the PI Magazine,
Mr. Riddle has been listed as "One of the Top Surveillance Experts in the U.S. today" by NAIS. He has also been called "One of the Most Successful PI's in the State of Texas" by Thomas Publications. His book, "The Art of Surveillance" was chosen as the "Best Book of the Year for Surveillance Investigations" by the NAIS. Mr. Riddle has been designated an expert in "physical surveillance" and "insurance Investigations" by NAIS. He is the founder of the Association of Christian Investigators and the PI Institute of Education. He is a member of : TALI, NAIS, ASIS, LAPI, ION, GIN, ACI

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Date Submitted: February 7, 2002 09:17AM