Surveillance [http://www.detectiveu.com/category/mobile-surveillance] is not just going to a site and then walking around. A larger plan is created focusing on a basic pattern and backed up with the use of a variety of signals and communications much like a hockey or football team, or a special forces unit would use.

Good surveillance training involves teaching the skills below.

Good Listening Skills

Being able to listen to things that you might find offensive, painful, and dangerous without getting angry and thus giving away what you are doing. This can include looking at a book while pretending to read it and being able to listen to the gun transaction taking place four feet away. You learn to examine something while listening at the same time. The main idea here is to block unnatural emotion or increased interest which could give you away.

Learning Deception and Lying

This means being able to tell someone that you are something that you are not. A large body of science has been developed to teach the body language, vocal skills, temperament and language of how to look sincere when you are actually lying.

Connecting With People Using Scripted Behavior

The art of surveillance involves learning the language and particular interests of the target. You need to know how to bring up subjects that are of interest to the target in order to make a connection with that person.

How To Use Body and Hand Signals

You should not do surveillance on a target by yourself.
It is best to work with someone else. In any surveillance situation, if an operative hits a "hot" conversation, they may scratch behind one ear to call for backup in listening to the conversation. This allows you to flood a spot and hear important deals being made or discussed at whatever venue you are doing the surveillance in. Agents are also taught to move and flow together so that each one picks up part of the conversation and it is pieced together later. This allows for the surveillance team to mimic the normal flow of traffic in the venue without appearing obvious. Eye and hand signals are used to control the flow of traffic by the agents when they are following "bomb book buyers" certain foreigners, and the like. A hardly noticeable itch may be used to tell one agent to go around him because he is on a hot target and needs to stay in one location.