An activity check is a common term for using surveillance to investigate the whereabouts and actions of a subject of interest. These assignments often consist of a series of routine checks which lead to a cumulative base of knowledge concerning how and where a person spends their days and nights. While activity investigations are usually routine, they can get very interesting, when the subject is doing something other than would be expected.
This essay details the importance of activity investigations and how this form of intelligence gathering can be used in an incredibly diverse variety of case assignments.
Activity Checks Explained
Checking activities entails making surveillance passes at a subject’s home or business throughout the day and night. By identifying the subject personally, or by monitoring known vehicular activity, the investigator can determine what the person is doing during a given 24 hour period.
Beginning checks will be geared to establish baseline information about a subject, given common sense or actual interpretation of their profession, lifestyle or past history. Typically, it may take a private detective 2 to 4 times at a subject’s location to get a clear idea of their exact schedule. Of course, this depends greatly on the subject’s consistency and the amount of time spent in surveillance. For each activity which can be confirmed, identifying the remainder of the subject’s day becomes significantly easier.
Purpose of Activity Surveillance
Most checks are designed to determine several key elements of a subject’s life. The most common of these criteria include:
Is the subject working, and if so, when and where Should they be working Can they be photographed or videotaped while working for evidence
Is the subject cheating on a spouse If infidelity is suspected, who are they cheating with Can evidence of the affair be acquired easily
Is the subject more active than they claim to be capable of Might they be falsifying an insurance or worker’s compensation claim If they fraudulently claim injury, what day to say activities might refute their claims
Are they a missing person, deadbeat dad, runaway or fugitive?
Activity Check Assignments
Obviously, checking activity is a highly individualized assignment, with a wide range of potential goals in mind. These are fast assignments in most cases, with only a short time needed to determine if a person is actually residing or working at the location checked.
Many private investigators use surveillance equipment to make their checks more efficient. This is especially true for cases in which a person might keep an irregular or unusual schedule. Typically this tactic involves placing a hidden video camera inside a parked vehicle, which will document the comings and goings of the target subject at all hours of the day or night.
For more information about using activity investigations as a means of figuring out a person’s day to day schedule, consult with a qualified private detective. For working professional investigators who wish to use this tactic to increase the value of their cases, contact a local private investigation association for detailed advice.