One of the roles a private investigator might take on is conducting surveillance. The movies may show PI’s camped outside a building in a car, but nowadays there are many technology-based devices that can assist private detectives with surveillance duties. In addition to making surveillance a little more comfortable that sitting in a car for hours, modern surveillance devices also give credibility to evidence gathered during important cases.
The Investigative Academy says that a cell phone is the most basic and functional equipment a private investigator should carry. Mobile devices like “iPhones and Android tablets can be used to source information quickly, manage case notes, and take photos. Cell phones also allow Private Investigators to maintain ongoing communication with their co-workers and clients.” If a PI is ever in a difficult situation, a cell phone is also essential to call for assistance or alert local authorities that there is a problem. Cell phones can also be used to capture video and photo in covert surveillance situations.
There are apps for everything, including private detective work. Most commonly, private investigators use camera, maps and docs apps. Other popular apps used by Private Investigators include:
- Public Records database search apps
- Waze or mapping applications
- Hidden Camera Detector App
- High definition camera app and video capabilities
- Speech to text applications for field notes
- Pre-texting apps for phone calls and pre-investigative work
These apps make the work private detectives do faster and more accurate.
Even though the technology offered by mobile devices is highly advanced and great for on-the-go work, a traditional computer or laptop is still an essential piece of surveillance equipment. Some of the most commonly used software is:
- Word document management for report writing
- Case Management software () to organize your workload
- Emails and calendar system to track your cases and efficiently schedule
- Internet browser bookmarked with your most commonly searched sites
- Database Investigative sites for background investigations
- Social media sites readily available for pre-investigative searching and quick updating
- VPN and site security software to protect your client’s information
- Anti-virus software
Source: The Investigative Academy