A surveillance system comprising: one or more data acquisition devices (105, 110, 115) each comprising a visual image sensor and configured to acquire surveillance data from one or more geographic locations, wherein the one or more data acquisition devices (105, 110, 115) are disposed at a plurality of separate geographic locations; an image database storing image data for the one or more geographic locations; and a processing system configured to: electronically display an image of one or more of the geographic locations using the image data stored in the image database; and accept input through a user interface to allow graphical manipulation of the displayed image by a user, wherein the graphical manipulation is in three-dimensional space, and wherein the graphical manipulation allows the user to graphically select a view of the one or more geographic locations that is to be subject to surveillance by the one or more data acquisition devices (105, 110, 115), characterized in that at least one of the one or more data acquisition devices (105, 110, 115) additionally comprise an infrared sensor and/or a magnetometer sensor, wherein the processing system is configured to: receive a user selection of a type of sensor that is to be used for the surveillance; and use the graphically selected view of the displayed image to generate acquisition parameters for controlling the one or more data acquisition devices (105, 110, 115), wherein the acquisition parameters include at least one parameter selected from the group of a latitude parameter, a longitude parameter, an elevation parameter, an altitude parameter, and an azimuth parameter. one or more data acquisition devices (105, 110, 115) each comprising a visual image sensor and configured to acquire surveillance data from one or more geographic locations, wherein the one or more data acquisition devices (105, 110, 115) are disposed at a plurality of separate geographic locations; an image database storing image data for the one or more geographic locations; and a processing system configured to: electronically display an image of one or more of the geographic locations using the image data stored in the image database; and accept input through a user interface to allow graphical manipulation of the displayed image by a user, wherein the graphical manipulation is in three-dimensional space, and wherein the graphical manipulation allows the user to graphically select a view of the one or more geographic locations that is to be subject to surveillance by the one or more data acquisition devices (105, 110, 115), characterized in that at least one of the one or more data acquisition devices (105, 110, 115) additionally comprise an infrared sensor and/or a magnetometer sensor, electronically display an image of one or more of the geographic locations using the image data stored in the image database; and accept input through a user interface to allow graphical manipulation of the displayed image by a user, wherein the graphical manipulation is in three-dimensional space, and wherein the graphical manipulation allows the user to graphically select a view of the one or more geographic locations that is to be subject to surveillance by the one or more data acquisition devices (105, 110, 115), characterized in that at least one of the one or more data acquisition devices (105, 110, 115) additionally comprise an infrared sensor and/or a magnetometer sensor, wherein the processing system is configured to: receive a user selection of a type of sensor that is to be used for the surveillance; and use the graphically selected view of the displayed image to generate acquisition parameters for controlling the one or more data acquisition devices (105, 110, 115), receive a user selection of a type of sensor that is to be used for the surveillance; and use the graphically selected view of the displayed image to generate acquisition parameters for controlling the one or more data acquisition devices (105, 110, 115), wherein the acquisition parameters include at least one parameter selected from the group of a latitude parameter, a longitude parameter, an elevation parameter, an altitude parameter, and an azimuth parameter.