Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Technical surveillance is a broad term that refers to the use of electronic
or optical equipment to gather information. The range of such equipment
is vast, including cameras, listening devices (bugs), tracking transmitters,
infrared and microwave radiation, parabolic microphones, cell phone track-
ing, and wiretapping. While these devices do not replace the need for
physical surveillance, they certainly provide a substantial addition to the
effort. The use of eavesdropping equipment, for example, can allow people
to gather information that would otherwise have been impossible. The
use of a simple video camera can allow a particular location to be moni-
tored by a signal transmitted to a point remote from the actual site of the
surveillance. Generally, both stationary and mobile surveillance techniques
are used in tandem. However, if the subject appears to be surveillance
conscious — that is, takes precautions to avoid being followed — then a sta-
tionary surveillance method may be used exclusively. This method also may
be utilized quite effectively with technical surveillance techniques such as
a wiretap.
Let us assume that a stationary surveillance is set up on the residence
of Subject A in conjunction with a wiretap on Subject A's phone. The wire-
tap intercepts a call where Subject A arranges to meet someone at a par-
ticular location later that day. Stationary surveillance may then be set up
at the location of the anticipated meeting. This technique avoids the
necessity of following Subject A from his or her residence to the meet loca-
tion. Where possible, the goal of the surveillance would be to follow Sub-
ject A. That would allow the surveillance team to see where Subject A went
before the meeting. Perhaps Subject A went to another location and
removed a package that would be transferred at the meeting. A thorough
surveillance technique would try to see if that is, in fact, what happened.
It is quite common in the DEA and other law enforcement agencies to
keep a subject under constant surveillance even while a wiretap is opera-
tive. The telephonic intercepts may not provide all the information that
is needed. For example, in the case of narcotics law enforcement, a wire-
tap may reveal that the subject is going to meet someone to conduct a
drug transaction. If the subject is a supplier, for example, it may be clear
from the intercepted conversations that he or she is going to deliver a
large quantity of drugs to a customer. It is common for drug dealers to
keep their supply of narcotics in a safe location known as a stash house.
If the location of the stash house is unknown and it is believed that the
subject will go there before the meeting, surveillance will try to follow the
subject from the residence to find where the drugs are being stored. If
