Park your ride/pick your spot
You’ve done your drive by now it’s time to pick your parking spot. I can promise you that this is one of the most important decisions that you will make when you set up surveillance. If you’re too aggressive you may jeopardize the case before the subject even leaves the residence. There are some subject’s that are absolutely paranoid and make notes of vehicles that they don’t know. Parking to close can ruin your case before you even follow! If you’re too passively and park far away you may never even see the subject or may lose them from the start. This is why parking could be the most important decision that you make when conducting surveillance. It is important to note that each case is different and therefore it is impossible to have a set of rules for every situation. I decided to lay out some general rules and you can use your own judgment. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could drive by the subject’s residence three or four times to pick the perfect spot? Many times you have only one drive by opportunity to figure everything out. A general rule is the busier the area the more times you can drive by without being noticed. I have had some areas that were so remote that I couldn’t even conduct a drive by. In that case hopefully you have good vehicle information so you can pick up the subject’s vehicle when they drive off. Avoid pointing your vehicle directly at the subject’s residence where possible. You’re usually better off if you point your vehicle a different direction and turn your neck to view the subject’s residence. Sometimes you have no choice but to point your vehicle at the subject’s residence which isn’t all that bad because it can save you a sore neck. I would also recommend parking in a way that you can see the subject’s front lawn and the subject’s vehicle but not the house. You’re better off if the subject can’t see your vehicle out their front window. Even better would be parking on a different street but still with a view of the subject’s lawn and vehicle. The best situation is nearby busy parking lot. A parking lot is a private investigator’s dream (although if your the only vehicle in the parking lot that’s a problem). The key is to find balance. You need to be aggressive enough to obtain the information needed for your case but not too aggressive as to where you get caught. A good private investigator will continually assess the situation and adapt where needed. Unfortunately, many private investigators don’t give a lot of thought to where they park their vehicles. If you are in need of a professional Private Investigator in Utah please go to www.utahspy.com.