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Writer's pictureElizabeth Williams

A picture speaks more than a thousand words

Updated: Nov 2, 2022


Swiss Detective Agency, Private Investigatior Switzerland, Swiss Security Solutions, Private Detective Agency

In gathering evidence, our team of Private Investigators Switzerland uses a variety of materials. We use our work skills with three types of visual materials: photography, CCTV videos, and video camera footage. Such materials offer a large amount of information that in many contexts cannot be expressed orally or in writing. In order for visual material to be useful, it must be consistent and correctly recorded. In the context of private investigations, it is usually used to show the locations of a key event or incident, as well as the consequences of a criminal act committed, such as vandalized shop windows or traces at a crime scene in the event of a burglary. The visual material may also contain a depiction of the very fact of an illegal act, as in the case of a cashier who puts money in his pocket or hands over Ukrainian items to a third party. Insight into a situation can be gained on the basis of a single quality image, not to mention a series of images that can reveal important details and key evidence for research purposes.


Secret recording


Video surveillance has been used for decades to secure business and residential premises and its role in conducting investigations is particularly important. Private Investigators Switzerland can use video surveillance cameras in a covert or transparent way. Our team of Private Investigator Switzerland who is doing the reconstruction of a particular criminal act, videos can be key evidence. Covert surveillance for information gathering purposes is a routine part of the job of private investigators. In most cases, the responsibility of a person for a certain criminal offense is determined, as well as for monitoring the act itself at the time of its unfolding. One example is the installation of a camera on the door through which goods are delivered to monitor workers suspected of stealing from the company. When installing surveillance cameras, the investigator must make sure that they are unobtrusive or camouflaged. Modern cameras are, thanks to their smaller dimensions, especially suitable for that. They can be easily placed in plugs, watches, or fire detectors, and disguised to look inconspicuous in relation to pieces of clothing or wearable objects on a person (glasses, watches, etc.). In doing so, the investigator must first consider whether secret camera installation in a zone is permitted or not. Gathering visual evidence that someone, for example, is using illegal narcotics or stealing goods can raise the issue of the legal responsibility of an investigator or company. Violation of privacy in some countries is an offense, which can entail the payment of high compensation to the injured party, who can sue the company or the investigator himself. Therefore, before deciding on this step, our team of Private Investigators Switzerland must consider in detail all the legal implications of such an act.


Photography


Photography has been used in criminology for more than a hundred years, and it is still a comprehensive and very useful proof. We use our team of private investigators Switzerland as the primary method of collecting visual documentation because the camera offers high resolutions, easy storage, and is easy to use, and high-quality lenses that allow zooming over longer distances are also a useful addition, keeping in mind that higher zoom it usually narrows the field of view, so there is a need to find a balance. In addition, the functionality of digital cameras, because they can determine at the scene if a scene is adequately recorded and delete it if not. In addition, digital photos are easily incorporated into reports and presentations of investigations, and the advantage of digital cameras is the modes that make it easier for untrained people to adequately photograph the scene. Before going to the field, we must check the condition of the batteries for the camera, the availability of lens cleaning material, the stand (if necessary), and the paper or electronic device with which to make notes about the recorded material.


How to keep documentation and records in the field


In many situations, visual material remains permanent evidence of incidents, robberies, acts of vandalism, and other crimes. It is also necessary to keep quality records of these materials. The primary reason for this is the fact that such documentation can be subsequently analyzed at any stage of the investigation. The team of Private Investigator Switzerland adheres to certain professional standards. At the crime scene, it can be helpful to record all items found, before entering the site itself. Photographs or shots are taken from different perspectives, most often from all four corners of the room, if it is an enclosed space. In that situation, it is useful for our team of private investigators to make shots from the perspectives of other people, e.g. witnesses stating where they were at the time of the incident or official staff first found in the field. In order to gain the best possible insight into the situation on the ground, objects of interest are recorded in the sequence of wider framing angles to narrower. This action is accompanied by written records of the location where the said object was found. If he is moved, our team of investigators first records him in the position where he was found. After that, the object is placed in its original location. Also, before moving the furniture, it is useful to take a picture with the camera held above it to document the original position in relation to the objects. Our team Private Investigator Switzerland always carries a paper or electronic record-keeping device, on which we state the metric values ​​of the distance between objects of interest and, if necessary, prepare a description or sketch of the entire location, indicating the date, time, direction and settings of the device.


Overall, technological advances in the possibilities and convenience of using modern cameras, camcorders, and even telephones have made it significantly easier for researchers to access tools for making visual materials and supporting documentation. Large selection means that the researcher must be careful when choosing quality and affordable equipment. In most cases, they will play an important role in his hands in finding answers to the questions of who, what, how, and when, which are essential elements of any professionally conducted investigation.



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Private Investigator Switzerland

Schaffhauserstrasse 550., Postfach,

CH-8050 Zürich

Switzerland





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