In a previous blog, I mentioned private investigations as a work-from-home job idea. After going through my files, I found an article that I had published in the PI Magazine a couple of years ago that I wanted to share. It discusses some of the difficulties of conducting surveillance in rural areas. I think that it is something that anyone considering private investigations as a work-from-home job might want to read and consider:
Rural surveillance can be very tricky. Most would agree that it is more
difficult than conducting surveillance in the city.When you conduct surveillance in a heavy populated area, it is easy to park your surveillance vehicle on side streets or in business parking lots. You can also utilize vehicles that are parked on the subject's street for cover, in order to establish a surveillance position in proximity to the subject's residence. In a rural setting, people will notice an unusual vehicle parked near their residence. You could make up a good reason for being there, but this rarely works. Subjects of investigations are often of a suspicious nature.
In rural surveillance, you may be able to park your vehicle on the subject's route of departure, but this is not always an option. In areas that are sparsely populated, subjects are often aware of unusual vehicles on the side of the road.
In rural areas the subject often lives near surveillance even more difficult. Even if the subject may not be aware that an investigator is there, someone closely associated with the subject will. This also makes it difficult when canvassing a neighborhood to gather information about the subject.
Sometimes when conducting rural surveillance, you may be able to get
a good viewpoint from a wooded area near the subject's residence. However, if you are trespassing on the subject's or someone else's property, any evidence that you obtain may be inadmissible in court. At the extreme end, you could be arrested for trespassing. If you do decide it will be possible to conduct surveillance in the woods, make sure you wear camouflage and use your natural surroundings to hide. Make certain that your vehicle isn't left in a suspicious area. Plan your way out before you go into the woods.Rural surveillance is different. If you haven't tried it before, get some advice from an experienced investigator, and make sure that you think things through thoroughly. If you are hiring an investigator to conduct surveillance in a rural area, make sure that you ask about his or her experience in rural settings.
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