How Oklahoma Private Investigators Can Write Effective Surveillance
Reports
Oklahoma
private investigators often perform surveillance in a variety of
situations. From investigating cheating
spouses to custody cases and more, private investigators often need to write up
reports for their clients. This is
particularly important, as Oklahoma private investigators’ reports often end up
before judges and elsewhere in courtrooms.
Private detectives need to know the best practices for writing
reports. By doing so, it will help their
clients, too. Oklahoma Judicial Process
Servers www.OklahomaJudicialProcessServers.com
examines some tactics which can help with writing these special reports.
First and
foremost, it is vital that private investigation companies that are writing
reports include the facts and exclude opinions.
Commentaries have no place in formal written reports, and they can often
do more harm than good in the courtroom.
It is indeed as they used to say
in the television show Dragnet, “Just
the facts, Ma’am.”
The formal presentation
of the written investigative report is also just as important. The following is an outline which is often
helpful to private detectives in Oklahoma City, Edmond, Norman, Moore, Yukon,
Tulsa and elsewhere. While there is no
set format per se, the following can be helpful for a private investigator to
use:
Summary Report - Surveillance
Performed for [Insert Name Here]
It is often helpful to include the name of the person for
whom the private investigator has prepared the investigative report. The word “for” can be changed to “on” and the
name that follows thereafter may also be different.
Location:
This is an important place for an Oklahoma private detective
to note the location(s) where the surveillance took place. The areas may include several places, and the
private investigation company should also note the times that the surveillance
took place. All reports should
accurately reflect the date and time stamps of any video recording devices the
private investigator used.
Purpose:
This is the place where an Oklahoma City private
investigator should note the purpose of the investigation. Was the purpose to find out if a married husband
was visiting a special lover? Perhaps
there is a court order that specifically prohibits a husband or wife from
cohabitating with anyone else while divorce proceedings are in progress. Whatever the reason for the private
investigation, the person conducting it should carefully but succinctly note
the purpose(s) of conducting the investigation itself.
Integrity:
Some Oklahoma private investigators prefer to make note of
integrity footage they took while on surveillance. This time and date stamped video footage can
show which times that the private investigator was still out there. This way if a private investigator is ever
asked how he or she knew if someone was at a particular place all night long,
then the integrity shots can help prove the private detective’s continued presence
in the area.
Observations:
This is the perfect area for the Oklahoma private detective
to denote what he or she saw. Who was
there? What happened? When did these events take place? Where did everything happen? Once again, it is important for the private
detective to be thorough, but also clear and concise. Commentaries and opinions are not necessary.
Identification of
the Subjects:
This is the perfect spot for an Oklahoma private
investigator to list how he or she identified the subjects in the video. Did he or she have photographs of the
individuals in the video footage beforehand?
Perhaps the client provided photographs or at least a physical
description of the person beforehand. It
is important for surveillance purposes for the licensed private investigator to
be able to properly identify the person or individuals he or she is conducting
surveillance on. Of course, sometimes
this is not always possible, especially if the subjects are not known.
What if there are people in the video that the private
detective could identify but others that he or she could not? Sometimes other people who are not known to
the client or the private investigator unexpectedly appear. If there are unidentifiable people in the
video footage, a private investigator definitely needs to note this in the
written report.
All Oklahoma private investigators should be sure to include
their names, private investigator license numbers, and private investigation
agency license number(s). This is
extremely vital, if others are to view the report with any credibility. A report, which should include the date it is
signed, is not official unless signed by all private detectives involved in the
case. Private investigators should take
great care to do so in front of an Oklahoma notary public. The signature area can look something like
the following:
_________________________ _________________________
[Insert Private Investigator’s Name Here], Date:
Licensed Private Investigator
PI License #: [Insert # Here]
Agency License #: [Insert # Here]
All private detectives should ensure that a notary public
has authenticated the signature of their investigative reports. This makes a formal written report more
credible, and it helps the judge know that the client or some unknown party did
not unlawfully forge the private investigator’s signature. A sample notary statement that reports can
include is as follows:
Signed and affirmed
before me, _______________________, a notary public for the State of Oklahoma, by
[Insert the private investigator’s name here], on this _______ day of _______,
2013.
Each investigative report should also include page numbers (i.e.,
Page 1 of 3) and places on each page
for the private investigator or private detectives to initial. This helps to ensure the integrity of the
report, and it makes it harder for someone to change out pages for unethical
purposes.
Private investigation reports can really help to present the
findings in the best possible, accurate, organized light. They can greatly complement video footage,
photographs, and courtroom testimony, if applicable. All Oklahoma private investigation agencies
should ensure that their private detectives prepare and write professional
reports for their clients. Doing so not
only benefits the people they serve, but it also adds to the professionalism of
those working in the field.
