- How quickly can you start an Investigation?
24-hr notice is usually plenty of time. It’s often possible to start a case immediately. Weekends are the busiest times and may require additional advance notice. We first need to gather all the facts and authorization forms before we can initialize the investigation.
- What information is required to start a surveillance?
Provide us with a physical description and/or photo of the subject; Addresses; vehicle information; time and place to start, plus the reason for the surveillance. Our trained licensed Investigators will obtain courtroom quality video evidence of all pertinent activities and back it up with experience and credibility.
- How much does it cost to hire an investigator?
Surveillance is billed on an hourly basis plus a mileage charge. Rates are dependant on where the surveillance will take place. As a general rule, in remote areas, the rates are a bit higher. Before the case is started, a strategy is established depending on the circumstances and your needs. Once this plan is in place, a budget can be established. Investigation services are payable in advance of the work being conducted. Payment can be made by credit card or Pay Pal, or by cash, check, or money order.
- How many investigators are used on a domestic surveillance case?
The number of investigators used depends on a number of factors. Basic surveillance on an individual being followed from home or an uncomplicated work situation can be conducted by one investigator. More complicated scenarios, such as following someone from a high rise office building, or airport or hotel require an additional investigator. Other factors in which we may recommend a second investigator include fast and aggressive drivers and extra alert drivers who always watch the rear view mirror. Of course an additional investigator increases the cost of surveillance, and this factor is also taken into consideration in arriving at your budget. For a proper frame of reference, consider the fact that no law enforcement agency would ever conduct surveillance with less than two cars and few do that. The more investigators, the less likely the chance of detection.
- How is the surveillance plan established?
Planning is often more important than execution. The better job we do of designing the surveillance, the more likely it is to be productive and the more cost effective it will be. Because you know more about your spouses behavior than we ever will, we rely on you to assist us in developing the correct time and place to watch them. We need you to determine when they are most likely to be engaged in this behavior and where we should start the surveillance. If you are not able to discern when with any degree or accuracy, we recommend that you consider when they are not available and we can eliminate those times as a starting point. All these questions and more go into creating an effective surveillance strategy.
- Will the suspected cheater find out that they are being watched?
Our surveillance investigations are 100% confidential. We do everything necessary to insure the covert nature of the investigation. If we ever perceive that the security of the investigation is threatened, we back off and re-evaluate with your input. One important point: Never threaten to hire an investigator. This will make the suspected cheater even more difficult to watch. If you have done this, be sure to tell us ahead of time so we can prepare.
- How do you follow someone?
The techniques of tailing someone are an acquired skill. When following someone we are constantly weighing two factors against each other. First, we want to stay close enough to make sure we do not lose the subject at a traffic light or in heavy traffic. However we are constantly balancing this against staying so close that we run the risk of being observed by the subject. The art of balancing these two factors in a variety of situations can executed well only by having an experienced investigator working the case. In some cases a second investigator is preferable or required which allows us to keep safer distances while not minimizing the chance of losing the subject.