Ian Harm

We are living in an age of digital and computerised technology and as a consequence modern technology is endemic within our society. There are many different technological gadgets on the market which, in many respects, make our daily life so much easier and in this respect the Private Investigations Industry is no different.

Cutting-edge Technology

Over the past few years technology relating to many things including GPS trackers has improved, has become more readily available and as a consequence acquisition, of such equipment, has become easier and cheaper. It is for this reason that many Private Investigators readily turn to this type of technology to assist with assignments. However, many people, including some Professional Investigators, see the GPS tracker as the panacea to all of their surveillance problems, enabling them to do an inexpensive one-man surveillance which can be attractive to clients on an extremely tight budget. I must stress at this point that a proper professional conventional surveillance cannot easily be effectively carried out by one investigator without a GPS tracker.

Furthermore, GPS trackers cannot replace the power of conventional surveillance carried out by suitably qualified and experienced surveillance operatives. GPS trackers, although useful, have very obvious limitations. We have used GPS trackers on some suitable assignments to supplement a conventional surveillance but we tend not to totally rely on GPS units as they can in no way replace the eyes and ears of a conventional surveillance team. For instance, a GPS unit can tell you where a subject’s vehicle is, however, it can not tell you or provide visual evidence of who the subject is with and what the subject is doing; only a surveillance operative can do this. Surveillance involves a particular set of skills that need to be learnt thoroughly and practiced regularly in order to perfect the important techniques integral to its use. Although GPS trackers have their place, too much reliance on them can cause an investigator to become deskilled at the conventional surveillance techniques with very obvious consequences.

How does a GPS Tracker work?

The workings of a GPS tracking unit is basically that of a modern GPS enabled GSM mobile phone. Along with the GPS chip there is also mobile telephone (GSM circuitry) which is the component part of the unit that enables live tracking; the GPS signal is picked up by the numerous satellites we have floating around the earth and the co-ordinates are transmitted via the mobile phone network to a mapping system on a server where upon the co-ordinates are translated and imported into the mapping system which shows the position of the unit with a very high degree of accuracy. Very clever indeed and very useful in many circumstances.

The Drawbacks!

Like everything in life there are drawbacks. The drawbacks in this case can be many; firstly, there is the human element which can make use of the unit a very difficult proposition. For example, to IAC Investigations, and I suspect to very many other private investigations agencies, client confidentiality is of paramount importance and as surveillance by its very nature is supposed to be a very clandestine affair, the last thing that is needed when trying to carry out a surveillance is to be compromised; this would firstly, put your client in danger of being discovered, and secondly wipe out any further possibility of surveillance being mounted against that particular subject. Not a very attractive prospect. Therefore the operative has to be very stealthy.

Problems of Deploying a Tracker!

In order to successfully deploy a GPS tracker on a vehicle, normally, investigators will carry out this activity during the hours of darkness usually about 4.00am (depending on how long you deploy the tracker means that an investigator may have to revisit and recover the unit to change units or batteries; due to the compact size of the units battery usage is a concern as the battery may only last between 5 to 7 days). At this point in time, the investigator becomes very vulnerable to compromise as he will normally have to trespass on someone’s driveway and ‘fiddle about’ underneath the vehicle for a suitable unobtrusive place on which to place the magnetic GPS tracker. Barking dogs, automatic security lights, observant neighbours who are shift workers and milkmen making deliveries can lead to problems and are all obstacles to be encountered and overcome in order to successfully deploy a tracker. Having said that, proper planning and execution can overcome these difficulties.

You’re Nicked!

These are the type of problems where the police are called, your ‘collar is felt’ and you have to explain your actions down at the local police station. It is true that it is unlikely that you will be charged with a criminal offence but you are well and truly compromised and so is your client as the police will have to make enquiries with everyone concerned; that is including the subject of your investigation to make sure nothing has been stolen or damaged on his car. The police will also have to contact the client to verify your story; that is if you decide to break client confidence. They will also have to make enquiries with all the neighbours in the vicinity to make sure you are not really a thief/burglar and haven’t tried to steal their cars etc. It is therefore very important to have a very good and stealthy well informed operative to install the unit to avoid being detected.

Problems with the Technology!

Technological problems with the equipment can also manifest themselves when you least expect it. There are times when at the very moment you need the technology, the technology fails for technological reasons i.e. the battery you put in was supposed to be brand new but it turns out to be defective so you will never get a signal from the tracker, so you then have to go and retrieve it. Also the technology is susceptible to impaired or non function due to weather/temperature issues. Using hi-quality GPS tracking equipment is therefore very important. The vehicle you are tracking may go into an underground or multi-storey car park or some other location where the satellites tracking the vehicle cannot get a positional fix. Additionally, the subject may decide not to use his car but instead use public transport.

The GPS Tracker is Discovered!

There is also a chance that the tracker will be discovered by the subject. I have heard some investigators boast that their trackers will never be found. I can’t understand why investigators would ever make that claim. I know situations where the tracker has been well placed by an investigator but has been found when the subject puts his car into a garage to have it serviced or some repair carried out on the vehicle. I also know from experience that some wary, individuals for one reason or another, suspect that they may be under surveillance so they will employ a counter surveillance operative to do a visual and electronic sweep of the vehicle for GPS trackers and also audio/video transmitters. In addition to surveillance, we also carry out counter surveillance and I have certainly been contacted by clients who suspect that they are under surveillance and as a result I have carried out threat assessments and counter surveillance consultations on their behalf to confirm or rule out the possibility of them being the subject of surveillance. As a result of media coverage and internet marketing, more people are aware of the technology that can be used by investigators and if they have any reason at all they will inevitably take steps to counter any surveillance threat. It is therefore very important to research before hand, the type of vehicle that the GPS unit will be installed on in order to discover the most appropriate and unobtrusive place to install it.

Plausible Deniability!

During a conventional surveillance operation in the unlikely event that you are approached by the subject and asked if you are following them, you can always play dumb and deny the suggestion and then withdraw. You could then replace the investigator with a fresh operative and pick up again at a different time. The subject may be suspicious for a short time but then become convinced that he was mistaken or just believe that paranoia is setting in because he knows he is ‘up to no good’ and is nervous. However, if a subject discovers a GPS tracker underneath his car then there is no doubt that he is under surveillance and it won’t take him too long to discover the identity of your client.

So, although technology is an asset to investigations if used as part of a package, it can never absolutely replace the skill of well trained surveillance operatives.

I have found this good article on Allied Detectives/Salgado Investigations Blog about the legality of trackers and it is very informative.

BigIthePI is the Screen Name for Ian Harm founder of IAC Investigations, a Professional Investigations Agency situated in the North East of England