Stakeout 101

We've all seen the crime shows where you see the detectives looking all comfortable in their car while drinking coffee and they seem to be perfectly fine in whatever they're wearing, they're not complaining or having any real issues. Time seems so short and like it flies by like nothing is a problem. This is not what a stakeout is really like. Nothing like it. Using my own experience, I have created for you this list, so that when you go on your own stakeout, you'll know what TO do and what NOT to do.

Attire

Welcome to this special episode of "What Not to Wear.... on a Stakeout". You would think that this would be pretty straight forward, but it's really not to some people.

What not to wear...
-Uncomfortable clothing. You WILL be sitting in one spot for more than 3 hours.
-Bulky or heavy clothing. Again, you WILL be sitting in one spot for more then three hours. Try to be comfortable.
-Police clothing. You are on a STAKEOUT. The last thing you want to do is attract any unwanted attention, or the attention of the people you are staking out.
-Anything out of the ordinary. You'll wan to be able to blend in with a crowd. Even if you're just hanging out in your car.

What to wear....
-Comfortable clothing. Sitting in a car for three hours is already uncomfortable. Make it better on yourself.
-Dress for the weather. If it's hot, don't wear anything that you wouldn't want to be wearing outside that day. Not all cars have air conditioning.
-Dress casual. No one cares if you're wearing a nice business casual outfit. You're just shooting yourself in the foot by not dressing casually.
-Comfortable shoes. No needs for stif shoes when you can just wear sneakers and flip flops. This a stakeout. Odds you're gonna be chasing someone, little to none.

Equipment

What not to bring...
-Anything unnecessary. Seriously. This is pretty self explanatory category and covers a wide range of things. For example, you do not need to bring a cat, a baseball or a cast iron skillet with you.

What to bring...
-You WILL want to bring a pad (or several) of paper. You will want to take notes on some things.
-Lots of pens. You will drop them, you will somehow lose them in the car. No idea how or why, it just happens.
-Water or some sort of drink. You are going to want to stay hydrated. But don't drink enough that you'll constantly need to use the bathroom... especially if you're on stakeout alone.
-A snack or some food. Same kind of thing. You need energy to stay alert.
-Binoculars. You may need to see things that are far away. Surprisingly, if you're in a car, you're not necessarily visible to other people. Windshields have glares. That being said, don't bring the biggest pair of binoculars to the party. Smaller more easily concealed ones are better, especially if they have an image stabilizer.
-Your cellular device. You'll need o look normal if anyone spots you... also, it's good to keep in touch with your superiors and the rest of your team.
-Any kind of charger. Keep your electronics charged.
-Anything that could come in handy.

Attitude

 What not to think...
-"This will be a walk in the park." Sorry, but no. It will be hard to see things that you need to see, and that you need to write down... such as license plates numbers. They're hard to see on moving cars, and hard to write them down while you have to be looking at and seeing the next license plate number.... It's not easy.
-"This is going to be so exciting!" It's not going to be. You're there to watch and listen, not to make an arrest. You're going to be in that place, or car for over 3 hours, doing nothing but watching your target or taking notes, or license plate numbers. Do not expect to have any fun.
-"I'm going to see a crime take place!" Probably not. Sorry.

What to think....
"This could take a while." It can and it will. Police and Detectives will put in hundreds of stakeout hours into a single case in order to find people, get evidence and make a case. Be prepared to spend a lot of time on stakeouts.
-"I'm really helping with this case." You are helping out. Anything you see could be important. Not everything... but anything could be. You could find the car, see the act or the piece of evidence that helps crack the case.



Stakeouts are all about surveillance. Not about making the arrest. You are observing and collecting notes on the comings and goings. You are doing the boring part of police work, but although it may be boring, it is a necessary part of working certain types of cases... such as drugs and prostitution.

HOWEVER, THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF BEING ON A STAKEOUT IS ACTING NATURAL. YOU DON'T WANT ANYONE TO SEE YOU, OR MAKE YOU AS A COP. ACT. NATURAL. ACT LIKE YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE THERE.