All our covert surveillance agents are trained to be highly conscientious, incredibly patient and fast thinking.
For over 20 years, we have employed a variety of female and male private investigators, young and old, who are competent in all sorts of situations and are dressed appropriately and, crucially, are well-equipped for every eventuality.
Often when clients use our private services, they will remark that they have not used or seen the level or standard employed by our Covert Surveillance team before and are absolutely thrilled. We are trained and disciplined enough to know the professionalism that is required for all our roles and all the local relevant laws.
How We Conduct Surveillance
Our agents – in most circumstances – are able to report back to our clients with audio and visual demonstrations of what has happened that very day and our full field teams are equipped to deal with every possible scenario that presents itself.
We operate throughout the UK with teams based all over who can respond to anywhere within minutes and hours, 7 days a week.
The 3 Main Types of Surveillance
The 3 main types of surveillance we often undertake are:
Static Surveillance: is normally undertaken by one Agent. They can be secreted outside a property and will be employed to film and record the movements of a person, or persons at an address or location.
Mobile Surveillance: is when we are asked to follow a person/persons. It is normally undertaken by a team, whether that be two, three, four or more Agents all moving from one area to another and across towns or the country. This can be on foot or by vehicle, on trains, buses and any other forms of transport depending on the requirements of the client. We have the capabilities of using a variety of vehicles applicable to the job as well as all the latest technology and equipment to capture the required evidence for our client.
Field Surveillance: is far less common but still required when we are asked to monitor a scenario whilst in a rural area. We have Operatives that are placed into areas where they will need to be camouflaged and we use more specialised equipment such as long lens and thermal imagery.
Although surveillance can sometimes be costly, we always advise our clients to put their faith in us and allow our judgement on how many Agents are needed for an operation.
If you think the target is aware or very aware of the possibility of surveillance, we recommend extending the team or the hours, but we must know beforehand so we can analyse the best way to handle the job.
Could the Target Know They Are Under Surveillance?
One of the most frequently asked questions is will the target know they are under surveillance. We can categorically state that this will not be the case.
Our Surveillance Agents are diverse and have a wealth of experience in investigative backgrounds. They have perfected the art of blending into whatever community or surrounding area that is required. Their ultimate objections are obtaining crucial information and doing so in an incredibly covert way.
Is This Service Confidential?
Often, we are asked on whom we report to and that is purely our client and our client alone. We do not report our findings to anyone else nor do we volunteer our information or reports to a national or public body as we have client confidentiality in place.
For further information please see our Privacy Policy.
Our surveillance is conducted within all relevant guidelines set out by The Association of British Investigators (ABI) of which senior personnel have been active members since 1996.
See also:
> Pre-Marriage Background Checks
Covert Surveillance FAQs
See below some of the common questions we receive from our corporate and private clients. The answer to your question might be below!
How many agents would I need?
This is very much case dependant, and our specialist consultants will advise on the number of agents required in our initial consultation. A larger team is generally more beneficial as we can ensure little to no mistakes if we have a target that is very aware.
What is our Cost on surveillance?
Although surveillance can sometimes be costly, we always advise our clients to put their faith in us and allow our judgement on how many Agents are needed for an operation.
Do we charge per day or per hour and what are my options?
We operate on an hourly rate basis and work in blocks of a minimum of five or six hours. The surveillance time will begin from the time our agents leave our base of operations and once we stand down from the operation we will head back to base, which will be the recorded conclusion time of surveillance. Any additional fees incurred on the job (such as parking, entry fees, etc) will be charged to the client upon completion of the operation.
What if the surveillance request is in a remote or far-flung area in the UK or abroad?
Distance is not an issue here at Global Investigations. We operate all over the UK and have specialist Operatives to ensure maximum coverage. We also work abroad and will travel abroad, as well as use trusted, respected and professional agents in other countries whom we have worked with many times before.
How much notice do we need when first instructing us to undertake a job?
Ideally, we require at least 24-48 hours notice before initiating surveillance. This allows us to ensure we have the required number of Agents available, and the Agents are able to undertake open-source reconnaissance of the area prior to the job.
What happens if the person doesn’t do what they are expected to do in the time we are paid to be there?
Please note we are undertaking the surveillance in the hope that the target does what the client presumes will occur in that time. We are not being paid for any resulting action and are merely custodians in monitoring the target and the place the client has instructed us to be at.
Are we to be provided with a surveillance report and imagery or videos?
Yes, unlike other firms, we do so without any extra cost associated!
A surveillance report is provided for your records and depending on what has initially been agreed, we will produce video footage, stills/photographs. Please be advised that if extra editing is required an additional fee is applied to the expenses invoice.
Can we cancel a job organised for a certain day?
Normally a surveillance operation cannot be cancelled or rescheduled a day before, as we have teams in place to undertake the work and their days must be organised in advance. Payment would still be required in full for any last-minute cancellations.
For more FAQs regarding our surveillance services, please see our FAQs page.