SURVEILLANCE OPERATIONS

Surveillance is best described as "the art of observing without the subject of the observation having knowledge of the scrutiny". This is easy to say but at times extremely challenging to accomplish with a satisfactory result.

Our surveillance operations have included such processes as:

- Flying to Dallas TX on the same plane as our subject of investigation
- Registering in the same hotel as the subject
- Being aware of the subjects’ activities over a three day period
- Flying back on the same plane as the subject

On a daily basis we do surveillance using a variety of vehicles, as well as high powered video cameras for both day and night operations. Conducting surveillance at odd times during the evening and weekends is one of the reasons we have been successful in insurance injury claims.

Blending in with the local landscape, keeping a low profile, and having a keen awareness of neighbors are all-important parts of any surveillance operations. Having a full size car and being the only occupant when out on operations will most certainly arouse suspicion. Using a truck or a smaller car will usually alleviate suspicion especially if the vehicle is not too clean.

At times, in order not to raise suspicion, an investigator will be forced to to let the subject go and try picking them up later or even the next day. Spending a short time period in a neighbourhood is a much better technique than spending an entire day.

All of this knowledge was necessary when conducting surveillance in Cuba over a seven-day period. Surveillance is the same no matter where you are or who the subject is but in Cuba this was particularly challenging. The operating conditions were fraught with government people, police, military and locals who watched every city block of the area in which our investigator was working.

After seven days of intensive work, our investigator was able to get all the video needed and get back to Calgary. Any mistakes made during that investigation would have had extremely dire consequences.