What Type Of Cases Use Surveillance During Investigations?

Many times, people are not aware that there is surveillance on them until they’re picked up and charged. However, detectives and police officers will do many things. They will stake a place for hours to get in a certain position. A lot of surveillance happens in Camden County or Mount Holly where there are abandoned buildings and corners that are notorious for different types of drug activities. The police will get into a position where they’re able to observe exactly what’s going on. They may see the same person go up to five different cars. Before each time, they might go to a step, grab something from behind it, and then go to the car.

Another technique that the police use are wiretaps. They will put a wiretap on a dealer’s phone without them having any knowledge about it. The dealer doesn’t know that they’re listening in. And so, they’ll make transactions and arrangements on their phone to meet people, talk about the amount of drugs they want to buy, and how they are going to distribute it. There are rules and laws concerning wiretaps. The police have to get approval for the wiretap to stay in place.

Another common way to surveil someone is a confidential informant (CI). A CI is someone who usually knows the person and has gotten in trouble themself. The CI may have been stopped with the drugs on them and in an effort to get out of trouble, they will buy drugs from the person they know sells it. Before they go, they’ll be searched and kept in the view of the officers. They’ll walk up to the person they know and make the purchase. When they’re done with the purchase, they go back, empty their pockets to the law enforcement officers, and the officers write it up as an undercover or a CI buy.

A confidential informant sometimes introduces an undercover cop to the dealer. They’ll say, “Hey, it’s my friend Johnny. I’ve known him for a long time. He wants to get a little something from you.” Once the CI makes the introduction, Johnny can buy directly from the drug dealer. He doesn’t need the CI involved. He can see for himself whether the person is distributing drugs.

How Can You Tell If You’re Being Investigated?

Sometimes, you might get a hint that you’re under investigation. For instance, it’s not out of the ordinary for law enforcement to give you a call, pay a visit, or ask for an interview, often under the pretense of a routine inquiry.

You might also hear from friends, family, or coworkers who’ve been questioned by the cops or other agencies about you. They tend to ask about what you do, who you hang out with, and what kind of person you are.

Getting subpoenas or requests for your documents, financial records, or other personal stuff? That’s a pretty big giveaway. These legal demands make it clear you’ve got to hand over information, showing that someone is definitely looking into your affairs.

Keep an eye out for signs of surveillance, like strange cars or people hanging around more than they should. Remember, this stuff can be super sneaky and hard to spot.

Lastly, if your bank flags some weird activities, like government agencies poking around in your records, that could mean you’re being investigated. In any case, it’s wise to get a lawyer involved pronto to help you out.

Should You Work With Law Enforcement And Tell Them Everything?

In my opinion, it is not a good idea to agree to work with law enforcement without consulting an attorney first. Certain police departments will ask everybody they arrest to work with them or give them information. I do not believe it’s a good idea for someone to do that right off the bat. I tell clients that if they want to help them or cooperate, they need to tell me first so that I can let the police know that somebody’s watching them. That way, my clients get credit for what they do. Police officers are notorious for taking, taking, and taking. They’ll take the information from someone who’s in trouble, use it, and never give them the credit they promised. When dealing with the police, you’re in an uneven bargaining position. The playing field is not even between someone who’s arrested and the police officers. Police officers hold all the power. They can decide whether you’re charged at a superior or municipal court level. Therefore, it isn’t a good idea to cooperate with the police unless we talk about it first.

I tell them if you want to cooperate, then I will go there and get the terms in writing so to make sure that everything’s above board for you to get the proper credit to get you out of this trouble.

For more information on Drug Cases in New Jersey, an initial consultation is your next best step. Get the information and legal answers you are seeking by calling (856) 499-8066 today.