Ask A PI: When Does Surveillance Become Stalking?

When Does Surveillance Become Stalking?

What is Surveillance?

Surveillance is the close observation of a person, place, or object. It is the practice of watching a subject in order to document and identify any of the contact, interactions, or whereabouts of the subject. Surveillance investigations can include:

• Missing person searches
• Cheating spouse investigations
• Recurrent theft
• Worker's compensation cases
• Vandalism

Surveillance is a critical skill for any private investigator (PI). In our investigative agency, over half our cases, from criminal defense to personal injury, require some degree of surveillance. For PIs who specialize in insurance or infidelity investigations, surveillance can be the bulk of their work.