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Counter Surveillance: Someone is Watching

NCJ Number
218965
Journal
Law and Order: The Magazine for Police Management Volume: 55 Issue: 5 Dated: May 2007 Pages: 72-75
Author(s)
Cara Donlon-Cotton
Date Published
May 2007
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article presents the four most common surveillance techniques of reporters and offers advice to police officers on how to counter these reporter surveillance techniques.
Abstract
Four main reporter surveillance techniques are identified and described: (1) scanner monitoring; (2) eavesdropping; (3) recording tricks; and (4) reading everything. Reporters make a living out of gathering and reporting the latest news and information. This makes them experts at surveillance, particularly when it comes to surveillance at a crime scene or within a police agency. After identifying and describing the four main reporter surveillance techniques, the author presents several counter surveillance measures that police officers can take to guard against reporters gaining sensitive information. For example, in terms of scanner monitoring by reporters, officers are advised to be careful what they say over the scanners and provide private information over a telephone that cannot be monitored. Reporter eavesdropping is not difficult to counter if officers are alert about who is standing around them and officers are advised to avoid recording tricks by simply assuming that if a camera is around, even on the ground unattended, it is recording audio and visual information. Officers are also cautioned to be careful about any readable materials in plain site either in police possession, police vehicles, or in police offices. Reporters are experts in gathering information and as such it is an officer’s responsibility to keep confidential and sensitive information safe from prying eyes and ears. Exhibits

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