What characterizes fixed or stationary surveillance?

Fixed or stationary surveillance is fundamentally characterized by the ability to maintain a continuous view of a suspect's location without the need to change positions. This approach allows officers to monitor the suspect's activities over time while remaining discreet and out of sight. Continuous observation is crucial for gathering reliable intelligence, as it enables the observer to capture detailed behavior patterns and interactions that may be critical for an investigation.

In contrast, moving locations to follow the suspect typically involves a more dynamic form of surveillance, where operatives shift their position to keep pace with the subject, which is not characteristic of fixed surveillance. Conducting undercover operations with limited visibility instead emphasizes an undercover aspect, which is different from the stationary monitoring aspect. Finally, using technology to gather information from afar relates to methods for surveillance that may not involve stationary observation, as it suggests a reliance on equipment rather than direct visual monitoring. Therefore, the defining feature of fixed surveillance is that it relies on uninterrupted visual access to the specified location or individual being observed.