Technology has become more efficient, cost-effective, and robust, improving the job. If you wish to find someone or something, detect suspicious activity somewhere or scan for listening bugs, there is a piece of kit for you. Surveillance equipment is much more widely available than it used to be, with normal people now having access to equipment perhaps only a private investigator would have had access to. Below we have outlined all the equipment a private investigator would use, which you can purchase yourself.
GPS Tracking Devices
A GPS tracking system is a staple piece of tech when getting into surveillance. GPS trackers help keep an eye on the location of an item or person, and they also create valuable data sets that can tell you a lot about someone or something's day-to-day movements. If you wish to track a relative's car or monitor their whereabouts, you can pop a tracker in their glove compartment or coat pocket and track them from afar. GPS trackers placed in cars can sometimes be the only way to locate a stolen car, delivering real-time GPS location information to the user.
A handy feature of modern tracking devices is geofencing. Once set up, a geofence sends a predefined alert to a number or email, alerting you that the tracked item has moved out of a specific area. This can be helpful to know if your partner has left for work or even to see if your child has left school when they are supposed to.
Bug Detector
To assess a room's or home's safety, a private investigator will likely use a signal-detecting bug finder to scan for any bugs. Conducting a manual search of a room is not only time intensive, but it is also mostly ineffective. A thorough manual search of a room could take hours, with bugs now being extremely small in size and can be hidden in various ways. A bug detector device will pick up listening device frequencies, locating them within moments. Moreover, these devices can last for years and are great travel companions when on the go.
Surveillance Cameras
The last essential technology for a private investigator is a surveillance camera. Spy cameras can be visible or hidden, using night vision or all of the above. Modern surveillance cameras provide the option for remote viewing, meaning you have access to your space at all times when out of the home. Surveillance cameras offer the ultimate piece of mind, meaning you have no nasty surprises waiting for you when you return from a trip abroad.