Surveillance Training

[ESS]

[FONT='Verdana','sans-serif']With regards to surveillance courses, if you're considering spending money on Surveillance training, please go with an accredited organisation with a good reputation. It doesn't make sense to go anywhere you won't receive officially recognised qualifications now.

As for the SIA and PI licensing, having been up to date with this issue from the start as an active participant with the ABI, I can tell you that should PI licensing be enforced upon us (which is still not certain but 99% likely) the competency criteria will cover the following: 1.Implement investigations 2.The search for information and evidence 3.Conduct interviews 4.Carry out basic surveillance 5. Laws, standards and regulations. The competency criteria is likely to be run within a 3 or 4 day course; quite amazing when you consider the amount of knowledge and skill necessary to become a competent investigator.

As for surveillance, the basic Surveillance competency included will be the absolute minimum and most probably ½ a day or 1 day at best with hardly any practical work.[/font]
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So, two points:
a. If you’re waiting to see what is needed for the competency criteria for PI licensing before undertaking any surveillance course, don’t bother. You will learn nothing about Surveillance from a course designed to meet competency criteria of PI licensing.
b. If you’re about to enrol on a surveillance course, I hope you have not wasted your money by going with an organisation that is not accredited now. Get a recognised qualification.

I do employ CPO’s on an occasional basis, however they must be competent surveillance and counter Surveillance operatives and I would want to see they have a level 3 certification now.[/font]
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[FONT='Verdana','sans-serif']One last point, if you undertake Surveillance and gather intelligence on any individual or organisation, you will be subject to a licensing for private investigation (assuming licensing is going ahead for the PI sector).[/font]
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Regards
Jason[/font]