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Prior to a serious crime, criminals (if only they are not laymen) always gather data which should ensure successful realization of the criminal plan. Routes, work schedule, way of life, daily routine, environment, habits, appearance and distinctive marks of the target are specified. Whenever possible photo or video shooting is carried out. Information about the target"s security guards, their professional and personal qualities, tactics, equipment and armament is also obtained.

To gather the information, criminals will try to get under different pretexts into contact with people, close to the victim, carry out electronic listening, remove data from his computer systems, but in any case as practice shows, they will resort to surveillance, which is the main and in many cases the only method to obtain necessary information. Surveillance can be the first preparatory stage of the criminal action. To detect surveillance in time means to deprive an adversary of information and secure yourself and your relatives against a probable attack, since in this case you have a chance to undertake necessary measures of protection.

The more complex the planned crime, the more efforts are spent on surveillance, and the preparatory phase of information collection lasts longer. If the task is to rob, carry out psychological pressing, or force victim to return debts, surveillance, as a rule, is conducted by laymen or gangsters themselves. For more serious crimes they can hire professionals - former security agents or detectives.

Professional surveillance is expensive and not any criminal client can afford it. As it is too dangerous to use amateurs against professional security guards, the only presence of physical protection can prevent criminals from assaulting their victim.

Detection of surveillance and shadowing

Surveillance can be moving or stationary, sometimes with the use of electronic means (audio and video). Moving surveillance (when the target is followed) is also called shadowing or tailing.

The major problem for a detective conducting surveillance and shadowing is to avoid being "burnt" (when the subject has discovered his identity). Therefore he should not draw attention of people surrounding him. Professional surveillance operatives are people from twenty to fifty years old. They have typical faces without special signs - warts, scars, large birthmarks, etc. Their figures are also quite ordinary, not too high and not too low, not too thick and not too thin. Their clothes are not striking but up-to-date. Upper clothes (shirts, jackets, raincoats, etc.) can be changed after they get face to face with their subject to avoid being spotted for the second time. They can also use some disguises (wigs, fake mustache), change sunglasses and hats. Keep in mind that it is not easy to change lower cloths - trousers, shoes, skirts, socks - and they usually remain unchanged.

Shadowing is seldom conducted by a single person because of the risk to lose the subject or to be spotted. Operatives discreetly communicate with each other using portable radios. Women are frequently used for shadowing, alone or in pairs with men. In these cases they work under "legend" - "married couple" or "pair of lovers". Teenagers, especially from criminal environment, can also be involved.

For surveillance inconspicuous vehicles, well blended into the area, are used. They are not too clean, not brand new, not too big, not too small, without visible damage and tuning. Vans and motor cycles are also used. Professionals will never use flashy cars in loud colors (red, orange, yellow, white, etc.) for surveillance. License plates can be changed, but their number, as a rule, is limited, and eventually they can be figured out. From time to time different vehicles are used.

One should be very accurate while revealing shadowing, not to alert detectives or criminals. If they understand that they have been spotted, they will immediately stop surveillance, draw extra forces and use more elaborate methods of shadowing. Therefore, even and calm behavior of both the subject and his security guards, without primitive checks let alone demonstration of any skill in the area, is recommended. One should not show that shadowing is detected until the criminals are identified and their intentions are found out.

The simplest form of surveillance  is stationary surveillance. It is conducted from a fixed observation post which is located in a place where its presence is explainable, and where there is an opportunity to control all approaches to the subject (site). Posts can be arranged in rented apartments, parked vehicles, shops, entrances, technical premises, mobile kiosks, cafes and restaurants, offices, bus stops, areas of "repair" works simulation, parks, etc.

The task of stationary surveillance is to control certain locality, building, or not moving objects or persons. The most interesting places for criminals are those, where their target comes in a vehicle - places of work, living and rest (sports halls, saunas, restaurants, apartments of mistresses, etc.). While studying these objects, criminals define vulnerable points outside and inside, ways of approach and withdrawal.

It is very difficult to reveal stationary surveillance. To do this, one should carry out regular and careful study of surroundings where observation posts can be located. All unusual and atypical changes in the environment must be carefully investigated. The following facts should arouse suspicion:

• A vehicle with people parked for a prolonged period of time in a place, from which observation of the entrance or the car of potential victim is possible. If surveillance is carried out by laymen, there may be several persons with a change of cloths snacks and drinks in the vehicle. Professionals will never permit themselves such behavior, and only one person will be sitting in the car. If surveillance is carried out for several days the parking place and vehicle can be periodically changed as well as people inside.
• Strangers, staying in the control area for a long time. Unlike shadowing, stationary surveillance does not impose restrictions on observer"s appearance, and the circle of involved persons can be much larger. It can be a cafe visitor sitting at the table near the window; a man pretending to read a newspaper; a woman ostensibly speaking on the phone but in fact watching the entrance of the house in front; a person in a shop who buys nothing but is standing at the window looking at the street; a driver "repairing" his car; a couple of "lovers", a young mom with a child, elderly women stirring on a bench. Special attention is paid to the places facilitating surveillance - shade in hot days, places protected from cold and wind in cold days, places under roof in rainy days.
• An imperceptible car driving off, or people, that began to speak on cellular phones, came out of the house or started showing fussiness, after the subject of surveillance had left.
• Detection of traces of inspection of garrets and deserted premises with the purpose of choosing a place for observation post in the locations visited by a potential victim.
• Constantly screened windows of adjacent buildings (surveillance can be carried out from a rented apartment).    
• "Official activity" of uniformed repairmen (servicemen), whose appearance and conduct are suspicious. 

Mobile surveillance (shadowing) is conducted in one of two techniques either on foot or in vehicles. Professional vehicle shadowing is usually conducted by 3-8 persons, including at least one woman, using several cars (with not more than two persons in a car). Laymen can be limited with only one vehicle, thus there can be 3-4 persons in it.

When using one vehicle, tailing the target"s vehicle in the city and in the country require two different approaches.  When tailing in the country, a distance must be maintained to keep from being "burnt".  On curves when the target is out of sight, the detective have to close the distance and then back off to a safe distance again. When tailing a target in the city the detective have to keep a closer vigilance on the moving target"s vehicle because of the possibility of hitting a red light and losing the target. Not to be suspected he will try to keep one or two vehicles between himself and the target. Two and more vehicles for surveillance give much more flexibility to detectives. The first car can remain behind the subject while the second car can be closely in front of him.

To detect shadowing it is necessary to spot vehicles, which passengers while passing along try to identify the target visually. When driving look for suspicious vehicles, which without any reason change the line of traffic or direction and break traffic rules. The main distinctive feature of a shadowing vehicle is its multiple appearance in different places. When you spot such a vehicle keep in mind its model, number, color, outward condition, appearance of the driver (passengers). It is necessary to bear in mind, that somewhere around the corner the driver can leave the car, giving up his place to another person. Therefore description of vehicles  is more important than that of their drivers.

If necessary, suspicions are checked by suddenly swinging off the route into a by-street; changing direction, traffic line or speed and watching reaction of vehicles around. Or you can stop under specious pretext around the corner and fix the car that will pass by. Also use places with circular traffic, transport junctions, well-known through passages, etc. It is possible to pretend, that you are going to stop to a blinking green light and when it switches to yellow, rush forward - the pursuer may betray himself by rushing after you to the red light. 

For professional foot surveillance 4-6 operatives are usually used. To keep the target from becoming familiar with anybody of the operatives, they change positions on occasions and only one of them shadow the target at a time. They "pass" the target from one to another. One operative usually follow the target and another shadow it on the opposite side of the street, keeping it under visual control.  When shadowing the target on a long street with little foot traffic the operative give the target a bigger lead (50-100 meters) than in a crowded mall (3-5 meters).

While shadowing an operative try to keep imperturbable look. Even if encounter with the target is inevitable, he will try to avoid even instantaneous eyes to eyes contact, for example, by sharply turning away or going in the opposite direction.

When a subject visits a restaurant he is followed by one operative or a "family" couple. They give an order to substantiate their presence and continue to control the target visually. After the target leaves he is tailed by other members of the brigade and the operatives "burnt" in the restaurant are called away.

In public transport (a bus, a trolley bus or a tram), the target is tailed by one operative who gets into contact via mobile communication with his colleagues that follow in a vehicle. In the underground two operatives are usually used. One of them goes in one car with the target, another - in the next car.

There are a lot of ways to detect foot shadowing:

• Pay attention to multiple encounters with the same people at different points of the route.
• Another indication of possible shadowing is inadequate behavior of those, who carry it out. It can be explained by the contradiction between their desire not to lose the target and the need to conduct shadowing secretly, without being spotted by the target. People, who carry out shadowing, especially if they are nonprofessionals, are betrayed by constraint of movements, excitement, reluctance to meet face to face with the target,  attempts to hide behind objects or people.
• Operatives have to use mobile communications. So focus your attention on people with cell phones and mobile radio stations, or on those with hands near their mouths.
• Operatives overanxiously fear to be photographed. Try under a plausible pretext to take photos of the street, and you will see, who will hurry away from your camera.
• While passing along shop windows, stop and look in them. Use the reflection of the glass to observe people following you (in this case professionals will keep close to the windows to avoid spotting).
• You can look back to see those who follow you, but it should be done in a natural way, not to alarm your persecutor. A glance backward is justified when you are entering shops, metro stations, holding the door for those, who follow you. Or pretend that you are speaking on the cell phone, slow down the pace or stop, then thoughtfully turn back. Or drop something, pretend that you have just noticed it and turn back to pick it up. Or turn back suddenly and come to the nearest news stand to buy a newspaper.
• Visit shops. Moving from counter to counter you can change direction in a natural way and watch people passing you.

To detect shadowing you can cross the street. Approaching the carriageway, it is quite natural to turn the head to the aside, from where the traffic is coming to make sure of the crossing safety. You have three-five seconds to watch the street and imprint people in sight on your memory. This method is the most effective when there are few passers-by.

To detect shadowing in public surface transport, stay at the back end of the bus. From this place you can visually control the interior and passengers as well as vehicles behind. It is quite natural to examine passengers (to while the time) in public transport. Note those who cast covert glances at you when the bus stops not to miss your coming out; or those who does not want to meet your eyes.

It is important not to overdo while revealing shadowing. By no means the operatives must guess your intentions. For example, you should never pretend that you lace your shoe, peering at the same time at the faces of passers-by. You do not need to sharply turn around or jump out from the bus when the doors are closing. On the contrary, remain calm and allegedly not noticing what occurs around. It will lull the persecutors. You should proceed from the fact that the professionals know about the methods of surveillance checking, therefore several clumsy attempts would certainly alarm them, and it will be even more difficult for you to reveal the shadowing. The best way is to check up several times a day in different places of the city. The places should be selected beforehand for your actions to be more natural. Negative result, nevertheless, does not mean that the shadowing is not carried out - you may be shadowed by professionals for whom such checkings are trifling matters.

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