
If you can’t follow without being seen, you’re not doing surveillance...you’re just tailing.
This course is designed to sharpen your instincts, train your eye, and develop the mindset needed to run real-world surveillance that actually produces results.
Whether you're working plain clothes, part of a special unit, or building a case for court, you’ll learn how to move with purpose, blend into your environment, and gather intel without tipping your hand.
Surveillance isn’t just about watching. It’s about thinking ahead, staying hidden, and knowing exactly when to act. This is where that training begins.
What's included:
When you purchase you receive on-demand access to the following:

Topics covered:
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How to apply the fundamentals of physical surveillance, including observation techniques, situational awareness, and mission planning
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How to understand surveillance theory and adopt the right surveillance mindset
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How to build an effective surveillance kit and follow a step-by-step pre-surveillance checklist
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How to combine physical surveillance with other investigative techniques to strengthen court-ready cases
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How to facilitate safer apprehensions and preserve critical evidence during surveillance operations
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How to avoid getting “burned” during surveillance and maintain operational integrity
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How to use cell record analysis to narrow down large pings and support suspect tracking
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And much more
This is the first video in a larger series and provides an overview of the full 30-hour in-person Physical Surveillance and Cell Record Analysis course. Get more information and a full course schedule by clicking here.
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Instructor Bios:

Daniel Yagi
With over 17 years of law enforcement experience, Daniel has conducted thousands of hours of physical surveillance around the country, authored hundreds of warrants and has directly been involved in the case development and prosecutions of homicides, robbery crew investigations, kidnappings, and high-level narcotic cases. He is a full time Detective with one of the largest and busiest cities in the State of Washington.
Daniel is the founder of Cypher Operations Group, where the company’s mission is to equip officers, investigators and tactical personnel with the most up to date case development methods in cell record analysis, physical surveillance, apprehensions and more.
Erin Lai
Erin has 9 years of law enforcement experience and has spent more than half of her career so far in the Special Investigations Unit where she gained extensive experience in surveillance, online investigations, and undercover operations. She has participated in the successful investigation and apprehension of numerous violent criminals, including several out-of-state missions that involved undercover operations, physical surveillance, and arrests. Erin has authored over one hundred warrants directly related to homicide investigations.
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What people are saying:
“I cannot thank Cypher Operations Group enough for their training and expertise. Just days after taking the class, an absconded fugitive Sex Offender from California was found to have been hiding in our county for over a year. Detectives utilized several techniques learned in training with Cypher and ultimately had further questions on a ping warrant. The team fielded and responded to my emails and phone calls immediately providing their advanced knowledge which assisted greatly in service of the warrant. The suspect was located hours later hiding at a subject's home who was later located in attribution lists. The suspect was arrested on several new CSAM [Commercial Sex Abuse of a Minor] cases and Failure to Register. THANK YOU CYPHER OPERATIONS GROUP!!!”
- Detective B. McCullough, Mason County Sheriff’s Office
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“Thank you guys for the great week of training. We have already implemented what we learned into our cases and are experiences awesome success.”
- Detective Patrick Hutnik, Olympia Police Department / Thurston County SWAT