Overview of Surveillance

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Taking out surveillance on a wayward spouse is very sensitive matter. There are many critical issues that must be considered ahead of time to increase the probability of getting the required information and that the investigator brings you the information wanted.

Big Decision: When you are already aware that the spouse is cheating and require positive proof or you still need confirmation of your suspicions, we can assist. Make sure that you make up your mind beforehand on the following issues:

Is the information I want just to allay or confirm my fears or do I need proof of unfaithfulness to give me an edge when I get to a court of law?

This issue is critical for costing the investigation. As with most other organizations, we charge for our surveillance services, per hour. If the need to prove unfaithfulness is for a court of law for a divorce, additional time will be required to gather the information, document it and for additional investigative work. The investigation will include the preparation of very detailed reports, uncontestable proof of identification of the other party(ies) involved, which may require many days of surveillance to prove beyond any doubt that the relationship is other than plutonic or to show a pattern in the behavior. 

Fault in  Divorce Actions: You must be aware that the rules on fault and how assets are distributed vary considerably from one state to another. While some states may allow the courts some latitude where a fault being found, like a spouse cheating, in the distribution of assets, it must be borne in mind that cheating as no longer a big issue these days. Judgment may still go towards a 50/50 split notwithstanding the fault. How a situation of this nature could affect your case should be carried out by your attorney. As there are different laws from state to state of faults and how the judgment is affected, a consultation with your attorney is necessary. When you need to have a spouse’s infidelity as a lever to give you the upper hand in court, you will require the surveillance to be carried-out over many days.

"I Just Want to Know the Truth". If the surveillance is just for own use, where you just want to know what is going on, rather than evidence to be presented in court, the cost will be much less. For instance, if your spouse claims to be visiting a friend and you get proof otherwise, this information when provided would likely be quite sufficient. A judge on the other hand would require a bit more. The more time that is spent in the investigation, the higher the cost will be. If you can provide such information as who, where, when your spouse is likely to be found/with, the easier the surveillance would be and quicker, therefore that much cheaper.

Expectations: We also urge all our clients to ensure that they create realistic expectations, rather than expect what is seen in movies or on television. While there are cases where a couple is caught on camera being intimate with each other there is another case when the suspect disappears into a large building and evades surveillance. For some situations this amount of information would suffice. For others however, more detailed surveillance to get additional information using more esoteric techniques or equipment to gather the exact activity of the suspect and with whom they were with would be needed. While being frustrating situations of this nature are some times unavoidable. At other times you may find that your spouse actually goes to the place that they said they would be going to and visiting the person the person or persons they said would be visited. At ASG, the activities of the subject are captured by out investigators discreetly and accurately. Unlike a lot of our competition, we are well equipped with the latest surveillance equipment, like long-range and hidden cameras which allow us cover diverse environments, like places of work, rural areas, the mall, in fact wherever the subject goes. What we are not able to do is to direct your partner where they are to go or whom they choose to visit.

Being Discreet: The majority of cheaters are general aware of the possibility of being followed by you or by  an undercover investigator, even though you may believe that your cheating spouse would not be expecting any  watchers. Cheating is exciting and feels risky, resulting in many cheaters keeping an eye out and many cheaters watch over their shoulders quite frequently. At other times the cheater may be with another cheater, doubling the problem. There are also other people, perhaps your spouse is like that, who are always aware of their surroundings, looking out for the police or with other fancy habits which make for a very difficult pursuit. To deal with situations of this nature, the sleuth may use more than one vehicle to complete the task. Obviously, this will cost more, but as you can imagine, two people can do better at following a target in traffic, in public places and elsewhere than one. The use of multiple investigators in surveillance situations is the norm as it generally guarantees success.

Timing: Although your significant other or spouse may leave the house impulsively, perhaps to meet their special someone, it is important to bear in mind that investigators do have lives after work or could be engaged in other investigations for other clients or a scheduled job at the time of your call. This may prevent us providing surveillance at short notice. We will always try our utmost to meet your request, but you also need to be appreciative of the fact that our service may not be available 24/7.

Evidence: These days, almost all private investigators use video cameras to acquire evidence. The investigators’ word does not carry much water these days. The video is the thing and is generally accepted is being infallible. Ensure that the private investigator you employ has the appropriate equipment that can capture must substantiation from a vehicle, in restaurants, bars, hotels and other public areas. It is now standard that all of our investigators wear hidden cameras on their persons. If the evidence that is gathered is for use in court, then you must prepare yourself for an extra bill that the investigator will raise for the time they may be required to spend testify about the video footage. This is standard for experts.

Personal Surveillance F.A.Q.
 

What is domestic surveillance?

This is the type of surveillance to employed uncover cheating spouses. This can involve girlfriends, boyfriends, wives or husbands. There will also be employed the technique of “tailing”, which will involve an investigator following the suspect cheater without their knowledge in order to document their actions. Videotaping these activities will also be included. A lot of people are embarrassed when they try to talk about this. There is really nothing to be embarrassed about. We get a good number of people who wish to find out if their partner is cheating on them. What is wanted is closure on a doubtful situation. It is the nature of the beast to want to determine whether the suspicions held are fact or fantasy. As we put in so much of ourselves in relationships, it is fair that we also get assurance on the integrity and strength of the association.

What if my suspicions are groundless?

This will be very good indeed in that you would have gained some peace and know at least that your relationship is still strong, without throwing it away on a suspicion if the evidence of cheating is not found. We pride ourselves on 100% confidentiality of out investigations.

Is this surveillance legal?

If the investigation does not involve trespassing or some other illegal activity, a licensed private investigator’s surveillance is completely legal. Surveillance in law is the procedure by which an individual’s activity in an individual’s world is documented.

How much is chargeable for domestic surveillance?

Billing for private investigations is per hour plus any mileage charge. The rates chargeable will depend on surveillance environment. In general, the rates for rural areas are much higher. Before a case starts, a strategy based on your needs and circumstances is established. From this plan the budget can then be dawn-up. The services for investigations are normally due in advance of the work to be done. Payments can be by cash, money order, check, even over the phone by credit card.

How is the plan of the surveillance established?

As with any activity, planning is the most critical component. If the surveillance design is properly designed, it will not only be more effective but will also cost less. As you have more information about your spouse that we do, we will rely on you to provide the information on the best places and times to do the surveillance. Your input as to where surveillance should begin and when they would be likely to behave in the behavior you suspect will be important. Where you are unable to define the when with accuracy, it is best for you to when they will not be available so that we can eliminate these as starting points. All these questions and a host of others go into preparing a surveillance successful strategy.
 

What is the number of investigators used during each domestic surveillance case?
 

The number of personnel to be used is governed by many factors. A simple surveillance where a person is followed from home or a simple work environment can be done by a single individual. Where the environment is more complicated, e.g., following a suspect from an hotel airport or a high rise building would require additional agent. Other factors which can require the increase of agents would be when following aggressive and fast drivers or over alert drivers who keep a close watch on their rear view mirror. The addition of each agent will of course increase the cost of the surveillance. This factor will have been taken into account when preparing the project budget. For best result in surveillance bear in mind that, no law enforcement arm ever uses less than two vehicles on a surveillance. The more agents there are in the field, the less the likelihood of detection.
 

What role do I play when the surveillance is up?
 

It is crucial that as soon as the plan is in place, you do not act in any manner that could alert the target. Additionally, you must not change your habits or start asking too many questions about the subject’s activities.
 

How do you tail someone?
 
Tailing someone is an acquired skill. Two factors are weighed, one against the other when following a person. Firstly, we need to stay as close as possible so that the subject is not lost in heavy traffic or on a light change. This will however be balanced against the need to avoid detection by ensuring that we don’t get close enough to end up being observed by the quarry. These two factors can be balanced quite easily in many situations when well experienced investigator is working on the case. In other instances, a second agent is employed or becomes necessary in order to maintain safe distances while reducing the chance of losing the quarry. On other occasions, GPS devices are used, allowing greater distances between the investigator and the subject..

Will the supposed cheating spouse detect the watchers?
 

We maintain 100% confidentiality in our investigations. We will employ every trick in the book to ensure that the secret nature of the investigation is preserved. Should we suspect that the investigation could be compromised; we would normally retreat and only continue after consulting with you. Do not ever use the threat of hiring an investigator. This causes the cheater to be more circumspect and therefore more difficult to observe. Should you have done so, you must advise us early to prepare for this contingency.
 

What evidence comes to me at the conclusion?
 

The evidence collected will normally include a videotape, pictures or both showing the activities of the subject and a written report detailing the activities observed. This documentation can be given to you or retained us on your behalf.

 

 

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