5 Tips for Plain Clothes Operations

Plain clothes work is dangerous enough when done right.

Add sloppy coordination, old intel, or teams operating in the dark, and you’re asking for blown cases — or worse, a tragedy that could have been prevented.

Whether you’re a new detective, a seasoned surveillance hand, or an officer attached to plain clothes work for the first time, this quick guide is your reminder: slow down, share information, and cover your team’s blind spots before the real work begins.

DECONFLICTION

Too many plain clothes units operate in silos. If you're not sharing information, you're gambling.

Deconfliction is the process of identifying other police agencies or officers who are actively investigating or monitoring a particular individual or address (i.e the "target").

This is a critical step to take prior to investigating a target.

Failing to deconflict can result in:

• Duplication of work
• Competing operations on the same target
• Burned investigations
• Worst-case: a blue-on-blue situation

Use your agency's deconfliction system (or regional platform). If none exists, build informal trust-based channels.

Never assume you're the only team working that house or subject. 

REVERIFY

Old info gets people hurt. And wastes time if you're stuck surveilling a bad address or vehicle.

Recheck:

• Vehicle plates (not just matches ownership and recent use)
• Addresses (evictions? new residents?)
• Warrants and wants (double-check they're still active)

Don't skip verification just because the file looks "good enough."

Trust but verify-even if the information was provided by another investigator.

TEAMWORK

If you're working with a team you don't know well, assume they know nothing:

• Share physical descriptions and clothing of all plain clothes officers
• Provide officer's vehicle descriptions and plate numbers
• Confirm identifiers (vests, code words, etc.)
• Establish communication plans (radio, phone, signals)

Teams should try to train together often but inter-agency ops may not always allow that. Planning like everyone's new prevents chaos when the plan meets contact.

GETTING BURNED

If you're responsible for static surveillance, have a plan for if you get "burned".

• What's your cover story for being in that neighborhood or location?
• What's the contingency if you need to bring a different officer in to take your spot?
• If you have multiple officers in a single vehicle (Especially the rear of the vehicle, what's your explanation if someone confronts you?
• Are officers in position to respond to assist with a threat of the confrontation turns into violent encounter?

TARGET SHEETS