Surveillance: Observe and Document

The Sound of Pursuit

Nov 22 2023 • 23 mins

Surveillance: a French loaner word derived from the verb, "surveiller" — "to oversee/watch."

Thanks to a few terrible PI reality shows, most of the world thinks catching cheaters is all P.I.s do. In fact, some investigators do specialize in domestic surveillance. Others, including Hal and John, have taken occasional surveillance assignments over the years, often in cases involving custody disputes or personal injury claims.

The surveillance operative's job is to observe and document and, occasionally, testify about what they saw. The job can seem deceptively easy. But doing it well without being "burned" is not as simple as it seems. Listen in as Hal and John share experiences, talk best practices, and laugh about how "unnecessary human drama" is a P.I.'s bread and butter.

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Pursuit Magazine and PI Education are part of StoryboardEMP, a media and education company in Nashville, TN. Pursuit, a free online magazine for private investigators, explores all things investigative, from gumshoe techniques and surveillance tech to industry news and crime in media. PI Education, its sister brand, provides high-quality online continuing education for licensed PIs. Pursuit and PIed are owned and edited by husband-wife team Hal Humphreys, a PI, and Kim Green, a writer and radio producer.

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