Yep... have heard of spies, known some folks who have been spied on and know some of the spies up close and personal.
Most of the "assigned" spying I know of refered potential divorce evidence. Trying to confirm the cheater... I know my dad was detailed to a few of those operations while he was an elder (he's out now)
I worked a auditing (accounting dept) security detail for several years while living in the West Tennessee area...both at circuit and district assembly... we would post a detail at the cash room doors, escort cashiers and contribution boxes in and out of the count room, run the bank deposits, count cash, etc... plus we did direct observations of contribution boxes on the floor and were allowed to tail suspicious folks who seemed a threat. I even helped detain a pick pocket who was hitting hall walkers during opening prayer one morning. Got him right out to the Memphis cops... no fuss, no muss...
My most blatent spy story was while attending Lake Worth (West) Florida... we had several 20- somethings at that hall... Ken Silvey personally asked me to do some "undercover" narc patrol observations on my peers....He was a little pissed when I told him "$200 a day and expenses, just like Jim Rockford, Ken"...
Hill------------ (glad Im outta that shit class)