Today's Surveillance Van: Like the Bridge of Star Trek's USS Enterprise

A good example of the use of technology in investigating is in the surveillance field. Formerly, surveillance equipment consisted of a nearly broken-down undercover van, used to store the typical surveillance equipment: a camera, and a pair of binoculars. Times have changed. A vehicle specialist describes today's state of the art surveillance van:

"When talking about surveillance vehicles today....we tend to think of a van whose interior looks slightly less complex than the bridge of Star Trek's U.S.S. Enterprise."

He describes that the ideal surveillance van as having the following equipment: power periscopes operated by a video game-like joystick; six cameras to cover 360* of a van's exterior, plus a periscope-mounted observer's camera; video tape decks to record everything happening on the street; quick-change periscope camera mounts; portable toilets; video printers; motion detection cameras; night vision cameras; cellular telephones; AM/FM cassette/cd/video entertainment systems; CB radio, Police radio, Police scanners, GPS; and any other personalized equipment one can think of (such as a complete computerized mobile investigative office) ;) .

I have spent many hours in the back of both. Sitting in a Capt chair with joy stick control and video printers is much better than no A/C sitting on a broken down lawn chair.

Jim

Joseph,

Wouldn't it be great to be in the #1 chair on one of these Mobile Observation Platforms? Which BTW is what I call my squad car...lol

Try conducting surveillance from a dumpster in a back alley of a flea bag No-Tell Motel where inside one of the rooms a Meth lab is in full operation.

You do what you gotta do and feel no regrets when in the end you hear the words..."Great Job!"

Michael Robinson

"Leadership is the challenge to be something more than average." - Jim Rohn

Gadgets are nice, but the basics will always be dependable equipment, patience and a professional work ethic.

so who's got this commercially available or do you have to build your own?

I would say it is better to build your own if you can, as it is easier to repair it rrather then try to explain what is happening to some service manager who problably couldn't care because he doesn'e beleive you anyway.

What would suggest one start with a standard van shell or or a small to mid sized camper/rv?

Guy, you could build your own, or you could have one commercially built, there are several companies out there that builds these types of vehicles for law enforcement etc. Here is one website that I checked out that builds them. www.odesseyauto.com

Joe,
Badge#10596

Guy, I made a mistake in the spelling of the name of the company in my previous post.

Here is the complete web address: http://www.odysseyauto.com/index.html

Also you can this companies website: http://www.farberspecialty.com/index.htm

Joe,
Badge#10596

Thanks joe found it through yahoo search. It corrected misspell.

sounds goood the next step in investigation

Badge#10510

You are Welcome Guy, I hadn't had my coffee yet when I made the first post. Hopefully the sites will be of some help to you. Good luck in whatever route that you may decide to take.

Joe

High Tech Surveillance would be nice, but isn't always necessary to get the job done. You have to do whatever it takes!

Yes, I agree, but it beats hiding in a garbage can..do they still make Real Garbage Cans?