Identifying a Subject in an Apartment
by Dave Broughton

At the request from some of the members on the lists, I have put together a summary of suggestions on how to identify a subject in an apartment for surveillance purposes:

1. You or someone (female) may want to deliver some flowers late in the day to his address either say they were delivered to the wrong address or say with xyz delivery. I have used this pre text before and it has worked. The down-side is if the subject does not answer the door.

2. We recently had a similar situation here in -----------. We got an old set of keys together, knocked on the subject's door and asked if the keys belonged to him. At the time, my investigator had a covert camera in operation and we were able to obtain video tape on the individual. It could work for you, too.

3. If you are able to see his Post box, try to put some Newspaper (update newspaper) in his Post box and wait for the first man who comes to pull it. This man would be probably your subject

4. When we have that problem we send an investigator who will not be working the surveillance to conduct a pretextual interview with the subject in order to get a description and make a positive ID for the surveillance agents. In the States, you have to be careful if the subject is in litigation because you are not supposed to have a conversation with the adversary party in a lawsuit if his attorney is not present. So, if the case is not in litigation there is no problem in conducting the pretext. (NOTE: Same in Canada)

5. Unless you are barred from any communication with this guy-how about arranging to deliver something to him. Anything from a pizza and flowers to a registered letter informing him that aunt died and left him $1 mil (oh-really-wrong Mr. Sutherland, I'm sorry). Or, find out who else live on the floor (reverse directories) and see if you can arrange to speak with them about their neighbor (again a pretext, perhaps suggesting that you are seeking your long lost uncle and think he might be the neighbor.) If there is no security in the building, try canvassing the floor with flyers for a dog walking service and knock on his door (or have someone else do it) and ask if you can use the bathroom (kids and females work). Just ideas-but the only thing that comes to mind. Or if there are doormen, have someone identify him for you, if they are cooperative. If this is a medical/insurance case-ask the attorney for one of the doctors reports. They always start out with the words

6. As to your problem, we had a very similar case once...have an employee or associate go to his apartment, knock on the door with a small or medium pizza and pass it as a misdirected delivery...you be standing by in the hall shadows to see what he looks like...or if the shadows idea isn't practical, have your employee give a full accurate description of the way his hair looks, color of eyes, type of clothes, etc.

7. The misdirected pizza delivery is a good one...just get a name of a neighbor in a similar apartment in a different building...in case the guy checks. usually the guy keeps the pizza...it's a good way to see what he looks like.

8. How does he get his mail - can you send an easily recognizable brightly colored package and film him with the package.

9. Print some papers to look like you're a process server. Put his last name and a different first name on the papers then knock on the door, ask to speak with Mr. [his last name] then when he identifies himself, tell him you're a process server there to serve him with some court papers. He'll show you his ID to prove he's the wrong person.