More than a Magnifying Glass: Private Investigation Equipment Today

More than a Magnifying Glass: PrivateInvestigation Equipment TodayPrivate investigation has gone a long way sincethe days of Sherlock Holmes. In the past, the mostcomprehensive example of private investigationequipment was Holmes' chemistry set. Today,however, the array of private investigationequipment extends far beyond what one can fit ina bag.Here are some examples of private investigationequipment:1) Surveillance equipment ?Surveillance occupiesmost of the private investigator's time. That iswhy this type of private investigation equipment

is always essential to the business. There are,of course, various subcategories of this type ofprivate investigation equipment.a) Visual ?In the past, a pair of binoculars wouldhave been enough to serve as visual privateinvestigation equipment. Although binoculars arestill in use today, many clients require that theysee what the investigator observes. Because ofthis, visual private investigation equipmentneeded to have some sort of recording device.Today, visual surveillance private investigationequipment includes cameras (with ridiculous zoomcapabilities) and video recorders (which areridiculously small). Of course, the equipmentdepends on the need. Some situations call fordiscretion and these situations need cameras thatoften sacrifice detail for stealth. There arealso situations which call for accuracy. In thesesituations, telescopic lenses are put into play.

b) Audio ?Audio recording devices are naturalparts of private investigation equipment. Thereare a lot of things that may be learned from therandom statements of a subject. Audio recordingsare inadmissible as evidence in courts. However,through the statements of a person, a prosecutormay learn the right questions to ask. Audiorecordings can provide clues that will lead to acase's solution.2) Forensic equipment ?Private investigatorsneed to examine various objects in order to findclues to a mystery. Because of this, they needvarious types of forensic equipment. They needthe right private investigation equipment inorder to study various clues. This includesvarious types of scopes, various types ofchemistry implements, and various types ofdatabases. Computers today are now part ofanalyzing clues. In order to make sense out of acertain clue, a private investigator needs tohave a database to compare it with. This would

help him or her solve the case faster.3) Defensive equipment ?There are many instancesin which a private investigator may find him orher self in danger. For cases like these, somesort of implements are needed. Some, of course,are able to carry guns. However, not every stateallows private investigators to carry firearms.In these instances, they use non-lethal weaponslike:a) Yawara-bo - This implement comes in the formof a small flashlight or ballpoint pen. Withproper training in the use of the yawara-bo, aprivate investigator can subdue opponents. It isoften used to strike pressure points inconjunction with jiu-jitsu techniques. Thispiece of private investigation equipment isuseful and easily concealed. The best thing aboutthis is that it cannot be easily used against theinvestigator in the case that it is taken from himforcibly. It takes skill to use a yawara-bo

properly.b) Stun gun ?There are also concealable weaponswhich deliver an electric shock to an opponent.A stun gun today may require a license, but it cansave lives. It can easily subdue opponents or atleast stun them enough to allow a privateinvestigator to escape a bad situation. All in all,this is one of the best pieces of privateinvestigation equipment around.