This your opportunity to put into use the accumulated knowledge of surveillance operatives from many years of trial and error. In order to give the best impression of being an innocent bystander rather than making it obvious that you are in fact not, you need to learn from the mistakes that we are about to run through, In each case the point may be an obvious one, but it didn't prevent the operatives concerned from making the mistakes - even after training.

1. Parking in a prohibited space - is a sure sign that there is something not right. With vehicle clamping at an all time high and the presence of red routes through major cities, less vehi­cles park in restricted areas than ever before. Consider the need to plan the parking place carefully, even using a nearby driveway with the owners permission is preferable to remain­ing conspicuous and liable to be clamped.
2. Parking but not leaving the vehicle - as we have mentioned, is not only an obvious sign that the vehicle is parked for some clandestine reason, but it draws the attention of passing Po­ lice vehicles and Neighbourhood Watch members. Remember that because you are "on a mission ", you do not have the right to do as you please. Others will view any unusual actions by yourselves as threatening to their personal security or that of their neighbours. Try to act as relaxed and "normal" as you can when you first arrive, you can always am end your behaviour as the need arises later. If you have a van or vehicle with heavily tinted rear windows there is more opportunity for static observation, but generally it is ill advised for more than short periods in a normal saloon car.
3. Emerging from a hidden observation location , then returning out of sight - is a ridiculous way of checking on a target. Cars simply do not do this normally, so you shouldn't do it ei­ther. Park with your vehicle out of site if you need to, but then work out a way to make your observations discretely on foot. There are a myriad of possibilities for more discrete meth­ods of observation and it is wrong to assume that simply because you are in your vehicle, you are somehow invisible.
4. Giving incorrect signals - is a clear sign of a re-active driver. If you assume the target is turning and then it doesn't, but stupidly you have applied your indicator, then it looks very suspicious and you may have left yourself open to being spotted. The use of signals must be carefully controlled and timed so as to perform a safe function without any fear of them being misread or misunderstood. The general rule is that signals only need to be given when they would benefit another road user. The simple rule is No benefit - No signal.
5. Slow cornering - could be described as the most common failing among surveillance opera­tives. If you are anticipating an ambush, then I would understand the need to creep round a corner, but in any other circumstance, the speed of the vehicle makes your intentions crystal clear and will  confirm any suspicion that the target may have already had about you.
6. Red-light jumping - don't do it! Even emergency vehicles are not covered by law in such cir­cumstances, so you will not stand a chance if the red-light camera catches you. You also need to be aware that lights can be triggered by buses and emergency vehicles using transponders, so any attempt to drive through a red light could make you vulnerable to a collision with a bus or fast moving ambulance - which you probably wouldn't survive.
7. Weaving and erratic positioning - is a dead give-away to the most unaware target. We have discussed positioning in great detail and it needs to be emphasised that what has been rec­ommended is continual positioning that can be altered and amended gently and smoothly. Seeing your vehicle in an unusual position will not arouse suspicion if it remains in this posi­tion. It is simply seen as your preferred method of driving.
8. Sudden changes of speed and direction - when tailing are inexcusable as far as professional operatives are concerned. They take great care to blend and appear to be behaving in accordance with traffic flow - so should you. With good forward observation, there is no need to suddenly brake or to violently change direction. In fact, the best professional opera­tives can predict a turn and reduce speed before the target vehicle even begins to signal themselves. This will serve to reassure the target that you are simply travelling the same way by coincidence and not deliberately following him.
9. Turning into private roads or driveways - may sound quite ridiculous and unlikely to happen, but in reality it often occurs when the operative fails to observe a discrete sign or other warning of the nature of the road he is turning into. Use your observation powers to the full - taking into consideration the increased use of security controlled private housing estates and car parks. The last thing you want to happen is to appear on a surveillance video carry­ing out your own surveillance.
10. Looking out of place when you leave your vehicle - This can cover a multitude of small de­tails, but if, for example, you park your van and leave it in a suit or perhaps wearing working clothes but wearing shiny shoes, it will appear immediately obvious that you are not what you appear. Always carry complete changes of clothing and accessories such as clipboards with delivery notes attached, perhaps parcels that you can appear to be delivering or if you have a second operative with a car on the same site, use overalls and pretend to be repair­ ing his vehicle at the roadside.

It must always be remembered that during surveillance operations you are vulnerable because of the_ nervous paranoia that exists in society today. Driving slowly around the block will give the impression of kerb crawling, parking and remaining in the vehicle makes the average homeowner think that you are preparing to burgle their property. If you are watching a target whose property is located near a school, you could be branded a pervert by wary parents and if you simply park up in someone's driveway with.­ out prior permission, you are trespassing.

Operations of this nature require planning of the most finite details if they are to succeed. If you are not versed in planning of this nature you will need to rehearse and practice. One possible method is to make   a colleague aware that you will be carrying  out a dummy operation on them and ask them to see how soon they spot you and then to let you continue the surveillance so that they can spot any flaws in your technique and methods. Use of project management software on your PC can assist in co-ordinating the various aspects of a surveillance mission and help prevent the more obvious mistakes from occurring. Even simple hand-drawn flowcharts can make a difference.

One final and very obvious mistake that often occurs is in the registration of the vehicle that you use. If your work involves high risk surveillance of persons whose contacts are likely to be powerful, you will leave yourself at risk if the registration of your vehicle becomes known to them and is traceable back to your business or your home. It is not practical to adopt the James Bond approach of multiple number plates or false plates that can be applied and you would find yourself on very shaky ground legally if you attempted this. The more obvious route is to establish a front for the surveillance part of your operation that can be used for the vans real identity and, if checked, can give a realistic impress ion of the vehicle being harmless and normal.

Surveillance is neither a simple task, nor one which everyone can naturally adapt to. It is, however, a powerful weapon in the armoury of a surveillance operative or Pl. As long as the preparation work is car­ried out correctly, there is a controllable risk involved and a wealth of potential information to be gained. Driving stealthily is more than just a part of this procedure, it is the single most important part of the tail­   ing operation. Too often the untrained driver loses his target and in the attempt to regain sight of it that follows, is involved in a ridiculous accident that becomes very difficult to explain to either the Police  or  to an insurance company.

Driving is a serious business and never more so than when you are forced to drive and maintain sight of a target. Your safety and that of your passengers and fellow road users must not be compromised in order to achieve your goals - nothing is worth that risk. There are other possible outcomes to this area of driving though, such as counter surveillance and anti-hijacking, which involve risks that you are not in control of. It is these areas that we must address next to complete the picture. In the meantime , use the checklist to ensure that the principal points of this chapter are fully understood.