Surveillance is a necessary and vital element for investigative case development. The goal of surveillance is to obtain evidence or information that will support or negate a suspicion. We conduct an extensive preliminary investigation to determine the whereabouts of your subject and then develop an investigative plan.
After a successful preliminary investigation is conducted we will then send out our knowledgeable and trained field agents to conduct the surveillance. Our agents adapt to the investigation by blending into the environment with the use of various disguises, inconspicuous vehicles and state-of-the-art equipment. Our results are provided in a detailed report, with video and/or photographs when lawfully obtained.
Beginning with a well-developed investigative plan, our preparation guides the work and helps investigators adapt to changing conditions. Our approach is aggressive yet honest and discreet. Work remains within the law and the agreed scope.
Pinpoint Investigations & Security Corp. provides these services throughout Staten Island, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and the Bronx.
Who uses this service
- Plaintiff and defense attorneys, matrimonial and family-law counsel, employment and commercial litigators, personal-injury teams, and out-of-state counsel needing licensed New York/New Jersey fieldwork.
- Insurance carriers, claims professionals, special investigation units, third-party administrators, self-insured organizations, and coverage or subrogation counsel.
- Businesses, owners, boards, in-house counsel, compliance, human resources, corporate security, risk-management, and internal-audit teams.
What to expect
Confidential intake: Pinpoint identifies the legitimate purpose, exact factual question, subject, locations, dates, known vehicles and routines, deadlines, safety concerns, contact restrictions, court orders, and counsel or authorized client contacts.
Information requested may include a recent photograph, full identifiers, addresses, vehicles, employers, schedules, expected events, relevant pleadings or claim materials, prior findings, and public profiles. Sensitive information is transferred securely.
Written plan: the agreed scope sets coverage dates and hours, static or mobile strategy, likely lawful vantage points, one- or multi-investigator staffing, communications, contingencies, retainer, rates, travel, and expenses.
Preparation and fieldwork: investigators may perform records research or reconnaissance first, then observe discreetly from lawful public or authorized locations without trespass, provocation, pretext contact, hacking, or interference with the subject.
Contemporaneous documentation: observations are time-stamped and location-specific; photographs or video are captured when lawful and safe; original media and field notes are preserved; material developments are reported to the authorized contact.
Deliverable: a confidential chronological report explains what was directly observed, dates and locations, photographs or secure video, relevant vehicle or location information, breaks in coverage, unsuccessful periods, and material limitations. Follow-up work or testimony is available when requested.
Timing and availability
An urgent assignment may begin the same day or next business day when the objective, subject information, written authorization, safety details, staffing, and retainer are ready. No start time is guaranteed until the assignment is accepted.
Each surveillance occurrence is scheduled for an agreed block of time. A single date may address a known event, appointment, departure, or service opportunity; an unknown or changing routine generally requires broader coverage.
A recurring pattern often requires several representative dates or weeks. Pinpoint and the client or counsel review early results before extending coverage so additional work remains proportionate to the objective and budget.
Important limits
- Surveillance cannot guarantee that a subject will appear, leave, engage in expected activity, or be successfully followed, photographed, or served. An inactive day is still an accurate result for that assigned period, not proof of what happens at other times.
- Surveillance is a limited snapshot, not proof of intent or a person's entire life. Observed activity does not by itself establish fraud, disability, liability, misconduct, cohabitation, custody fitness, or another legal or medical conclusion.
- Private investigators do not have police powers. Pinpoint does not trespass, enter private areas without authority, hack accounts or devices, intercept private communications, unlawfully record audio, or place a tracking device without proper legal authority.
- Discreet work reduces exposure but cannot guarantee zero risk of detection. Traffic, access restrictions, security personnel, the subject's driving, counter-surveillance behavior, or safety concerns may require an investigator to disengage.
- Clear images and continuous coverage are not always possible. Darkness, weather, distance, obstructions, private interiors, multiple exits, sudden travel, or a single-investigator plan can limit what is safely and lawfully documented.
- Pinpoint reports investigative facts and limitations; the client, counsel, insurer, employer, medical professional, or court decides relevance, admissibility, liability, benefits, discipline, or legal strategy. Surveillance is not an emergency-response service.
A de-identified example
Counsel needed objective evidence concerning a disputed recurring activity pattern. Existing records identified likely locations and vehicles, but the subject's actual routine and movements were unclear.
We verified identifiers and likely locations, performed reconnaissance, and planned several representative coverage dates. Investigators used lawful static and mobile positions, recorded contemporaneous time and location notes, captured photographs and video when conditions allowed, and avoided contact or interference.
The report documented the activity observed on each assigned date, routes and locations, unsuccessful periods, photographs and video, and the limits of the coverage. Counsel used the factual chronology to guide case strategy without asking Pinpoint to decide what the conduct legally or medically proved.
Service area and contact
Pinpoint Investigations & Security Corp. serves Staten Island, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and the Bronx. Call 718-667-6422 to discuss your needs.
Related services: Private Investigations; Matrimonial & Divorce Investigations; Child Custody & Spouse Visitation Investigations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What information do you need to start?
Usually the legitimate objective, subject's full name and identifiers, recent photograph, addresses, vehicles, employers, likely schedule, relevant dates and locations, known risks, documents or orders, prior findings, public profiles, authorized contacts, and the deadline. We identify the minimum necessary information during intake.
Can you guarantee that you will see the subject or prove my case?
No. A subject may remain inside, change plans, use an unknown vehicle or exit, travel unexpectedly, or engage in no relevant activity during the assigned period. Pinpoint documents what is and is not observed; counsel, the client, insurer, employer, or court determines its significance.
Will the subject know, and do you contact them?
Surveillance is planned to be discreet and ordinarily involves no subject contact or provocation. No investigator can guarantee zero risk of detection, and safety, access, traffic, security, or counter-surveillance behavior may require us to reposition or disengage.
What can you lawfully photograph, record, or track?
We document activity visible from lawful public or authorized vantage points and capture photographs or video when lawful and appropriate. We do not trespass, hack, intercept private communications, unlawfully record audio, or place a tracking device without proper legal authority; the exact plan may depend on jurisdiction and counsel's instructions.
How many investigators and surveillance dates are needed?
A focused location with one exit may use one investigator. Multiple exits or vehicles, dense traffic, long-distance movement, difficult handoffs, safety concerns, or counter-surveillance awareness may justify two or more. A known event may require one date; a recurring pattern usually needs several representative dates.
