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JULIA

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Julia joined the Service as a surveillance officer in
1992 after replying to an advertisement in the
national press. She had previously done a series of
office/PA jobs in the city.

It is difficult to generalise about the job because the
variety is so marked. Some targets require round the
clock surveillance, others are more routine and are taken
on for a half day at a time. A working day will usually last
between seven and ten hours, although it can be longer or
shorter. It might mean having to leave home at 5.30am to
meet up with the rest of the team, after which we proceed
to the target location to relieve our colleagues. We'll have
been briefed the previous day on the objectives of our
surveillance and all the relevant aspects of the target we
need to look out for. During the shift I can be involved in
numerous tasks including foot and vehicle surveillance
and covert photography. There are no allotted lunch or
tea breaks and if there is a chance you grab your
refreshments from a cafe and eat them in the car. At the
end of the shift we are relieved by the next crew, if
necessary, and then return our vehicles to the office,
where our team pieces together a full report on the events
on our shift and prepares any items that may need to be
treated as evidence.

In all, 90% of our time is spent outside the office. The job
can be highly unpredictable; the shift roster is not set in
concrete and there are occasions when you have to
change shifts or travel at short notice. For me, that was
part of the attraction after working nine to five. For a few,
it may not be their cup of tea to have this much
disruption, but mostly the job satisfaction balances out.

We often find ourselves working alongside other
agencies, such as the police. This gives us the opportunity
to develop professional relationships and exchange ideas
with our counterparts elsewhere. I have also completed
various in-house courses to hone my skills, such as map
reading, evidential report writing, effective
communications, technical equipment and foot
surveillance exercises.

I was first attracted to the job by its unusual nature and, I
must admit, a sense of intrigue. I now like the fact that I
am doing an important job which, if it's a terrorist target,
could contribute to saving lives. I also enjoy being part of
a team and like the companionship of my colleagues. We
spend a lot of time together and all put effort into
maintaining the positives and keeping friction to a
minimum. And the irregular, but sometimes substantial
periods of time off suit me too. On the down side, the
long periods of inactivity waiting for the target to move
can sometimes get you down, and there are also times
when, because of the nature of our work, we can feel
different from the rest of the Service. The opportunities
for promotion are limited, but you accept that from the
start and get on with the job.

Surveillance needs a certain type of person - one who's
not worried about a structure to their lives, is prepared to
be flexible, is used to working in a close knit team and,
most importantly, has a sense of humour!