Starting a Surveillance Company

I

Invictus13

Full Registered User
Hi All,

myself and another police colleague (both with 5 years CID and covert operations experience) are in the process of starting out int the private surveillance sphere.

As well as our police experience we have undertaken the Ronin Concepts Hostile Environment CP course and looking to top up on the surveillance with a couple of courses.

I wanted to hear what experiences any of you had in relation to the world of private surveillance and what the job market is like.

I hear The Surveillance Group (based in Hereford) are doing extremely well for instance but I am looking for more balanced views.

Thx for your help guys.
 
Hi there.

I can't give any knowledge on civilian surveillance as I have a military and police background also. I have heard the number of private investigators is rising no doubt increasing the need for surveillance training and surveillance companies.

Where abouts in the country do you plan to operate?

Mally
 
Hi,

Try targeting insurance companies for personal health insurance work, they are difficult to get in with but can be very lucrative. When I say difficult, I mean very very very difficult!
Good luck though.
 
Hi guys,

thanks for the replies.

I plan to set up in the Greater London area which will allow me to cover Surrey as well as London.

Silhouette, if you don't mind me asking what is the main type of surveillance work you do? How difficult is it to obtain jobs and what mistakes are to avoid when setting up a surveillance company from sratch?

Finnally, is it lucrative and worthwhile from a financial point of you?

Thx
 
Hi

I'm not sure if you already know this or if you plan to have a full surveillance team? However I have heard that if you plan to employ individuals who are of non-military and non-police backgrounds, their surveillance skills will have only reached level 3 surveillance, thus no mobile surveillance will be authorised.

I have also tried to get into claims validations though it's proving real difficult at the minute!!
 
Starting your own company is easy - just inform the revenue - getting the work in can be difficult to say the least. Sub-contract work is one thing but getting your clients, especially in the claims industry is especially difficult - yet achievable.

P.M.me with any other questions that you may have.
 
Try aiming at the European market , we do a lot of Due dilligence and Pre employment screening etc especially in eastern europe, I know it isnt sneaky beaky stuff but best to try several different avenues rather than to rely on Surveillence solely. With the exception of the odd suspicious wife or a crumb or two from the sub contracting insurance investigators , Surveillence work is hard enough to come by alone.
Get as many strings to your bow as possible and dont make the dreaded mistake of over stretching too early, only take work onboard that you can achieve, sounds stright forward and silly comment but a reputation is easily ruined in the first year.
At least as an ex cop you know all the pit falls regarding the Human rights legislation etc!!!

Good Luck

PM me if I can help further.
 
Invictus13 said:
Hi All,

myself and another police colleague (both with 5 years CID and covert operations experience) are in the process of starting out int the private surveillance sphere.

As well as our police experience we have undertaken the Ronin Concepts Hostile Environment CP course and looking to top up on the surveillance with a couple of courses.

I wanted to hear what experiences any of you had in relation to the world of private surveillance and what the job market is like.

I hear The Surveillance Group (based in Hereford) are doing extremely well for instance but I am looking for more balanced views.

Thx for your help guys.
Click to expand...

Best of luck on your new project.

WE are running a surveillance detection course in Israel in July.

As part of this course, surveillance is taught also.

Please see:
http://www.closeprotectionworld.co....courses/1572-israeli-sd-course-july-08-a.html

And let me know if you have any questions.

Regardless of our course, if you have any questions, let me know, glad to assist.

m
 
Mickworldwide made some good points and thanks for that. I'm not sure what catey_c meant though. I understand the levels of surveillance training for the Police, but catey_c seemed to imply that applies to the civillian sector as well. Is that right ? If so who on earth Polices it and how ? I know of PI's who are out there doing it daily and have been for a long time with no official levels ? Is this set down in legislation anywhere ?
thanks everyone

Nephilim
 
Hi,

I think Catey C has got a bit mixed up, the Police Surveillance Training Level system cannot be compared to the civilian system as it is totally unrelated.

The system adopted by the accrediting bodies such as Edexcel, City & Guilds etc is taken from a thing called Blooms Taxonomy. It explains the difference between the 'levels'

A Level 3 qualification is not based on the time that it takes to carry out the training or the length of the course (Police Level 1 for example is some 4 weeks long) but what the learner is actually required to do at the end of it. Below is an explanation how to distinguish between the certain qualification levels in the 'civilian' national framework.

Entry level
Employ, recall and demonstrate elementary comprehension in a narrow range of areas; exercise basic skills within highly structured contexts; and carry out directed activity under close supervision.

Level 1
Employ a narrow range of applied knowledge, skills and basic comprehension within a limited range of predictable and structured context, including working with others under direct supervision, but with a very limited degree of discretion and judgement about possible action.

Level 2
Apply knowledge with underpinning comprehension in a number of areas and employ a range of skills within a number of contexts, some of which may be non-routine; and undertake directed activities, with a degree of autonomy, within time constraints.

Level 3
Apply knowledge and skills in a range of complex activities demonstrating comprehension of relevant theories; access and analyse information independently and make reasoned judgements, selecting from a considerable choice of procedures in a familiar context; and direct own activities with some responsibility for the output of others.

Level 4
Develop a rigorous approach to the acquisition of a broad knowledge base; employ a range of specialised skills; evaluate information, using it to plan and develop investigative strategies and determine solutions to a variety of unpredictable problems; and operate in a range of varied and specific contexts, taking responsibility for the nature and quality of outputs.
 
Its not rocket science, 21 years now (not age). Once you are in, youre in. Best to network, good PI sites on the net, agent to agent gets you in. 20 to 35 £ per hour, thats agent to agent fee. need good body cam etc. Good luck............
 
hi invictus,i have been in surveillance/fraud investigation for just under 10 yrs now and before going self employed work for 2 companys with large contracts with some of the major insurance firms
it will be hard to break into them as from what understand the insurance companys have a "board" which is their list of providers for various services inculding surveillance
ive been there when one of my bosses has slagged other surveillance firms so bad to the insurance guys that they never get a look in
but its all relative if your a small outfit you dont need many jobs and can still make a decent living,but on the other side of the coin i have seen insurance companys drop the surveillance firm like a hot stone for messing up one job in 7 rs
so it could always be worth a email to some of the bigger insurance companys

of course thats if they admit the use people like us!!!!
 
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