Surveillance, Observation, and Investigative Techniques
What the exam tests
This domain tests practical surveillance judgment and legal boundaries: planning, fixed and mobile observation, note-taking, video, and avoiding trespass or harassment. Questions reward techniques that produce usable evidence without creating liability.
Core rules
- Plan before deployment: Confirm the objective, subject description, vehicle, locations, legal boundaries, communication plan, and contingency for losing the subject. A written plan reduces “burning” the surveillance.
- Use lawful vantage points: Public streets, sidewalks, and parking areas are generally available for observation. Do not enter private property, climb fences, or use a vantage point that requires trespass. Avoid peering into windows where the subject has a reasonable expectation of privacy.
- Mobile surveillance: Maintain safe distance, obey traffic laws, use relay vehicles when appropriate, and never pursue aggressively. Document the route, times, and tag numbers. If followed or confronted, disengage and call police if necessary.
- Documentation: Record date, time, location, weather, subject actions, vehicle descriptions, and distances. Use synchronized time sources. Video should include time/date stamps where available and be preserved unedited.
- Ethics and safety: Do not harass, stalk, or intimidate. Do not use GPS trackers or hidden cameras without legal review. Surveillance must stop when it becomes unsafe or unlawful.
Worked example
A subject leaves an apartment and drives to a restaurant. The investigator follows at a safe distance, parks on a public street, and observes the subject meet another person. The investigator records the time, vehicle, and descriptions but does not enter the restaurant’s private lot or record audio. If the subject drives onto a private ranch, the investigator stops at the public road and documents the plate and time rather than following onto the property.
Traps that cost marks
- Following a subject onto private property or through a red light.
- Recording audio during surveillance without consent.
- Writing “subject acted suspiciously” instead of describing conduct.
- Using a GPS tracker without checking legal authority.