How does stealth work in Grand Theft Auto Online?

I have a level 41 character in GTA online with 100 in Shooting and something low ("Clumsy") in Stealth.

When playing job missions I like to soften up the AI opposition by sniping them from a good vantage point as far away as possible. This means I'm often on top of a building/ crane/ boat/ hill and hiding behind a billboard/ low wall/ box/ rock at the edge of sniper visibility - in the middle of the night.

I'm using the standard sniper with suppressor, advanced scope etc. At the moment I'm lucky to get more than two (head)shots off before the AI identify exactly where I'm hiding and come at me. I'm guessing that the reason for my detection is my low Stealth points.

You would think that shooting people 2 blocks away in the middle of the night while hidden behind a billboard on the top of a build would count as "stealthy" but my Stealth stays stubbornly on "Clumsy".

Switching into "stealth" mode by clicking the left stick (PS3) only changes my characters standing position and causes them to move slowly. I know from playing the storyline that I could perform "stealth" kills like this - if I wasn't 2 blocks from my protagonists.

Going into cover and sniping seems to cancel "stealth" mode. Standing up in "stealth" mode when I could be hiding behind something seems foolish, counter-intuitive and bad for my health.

So what is the purpose of Stealth and how does it work?

Solution 1:

purpose of stealth is to sneak up on enemies and use the one hit kill attack.. stealth skill is gained by staying in stealth mode in-game (walking in stealth) and it seems to serve little purpose compared to single player because as you said, GTAonline seems to group a bunch of enemies together rendering stealth almost impossible, as one shoot one and the rest become terminators ready to kill with vision scopes of thousands of miles away knowing your exact location. Therefore your style of stealth, while being theoretically very smart, doesn't work in this game. You might have a better chance sneaking up on human players or using it during death match

source : level 87 in gta online and the experience that comes with time.

Solution 2:

As said in the previous answer there is no purpose in online (that i have found). You can gain it by using suppressors on your guns (very slowly) or walk in stealth mode takes 20 minutes per bar

From what I have seen after leveling my stealth the only affects I have seen are on AI when walking stealthily behind them.

Perhaps it is something they are still in the works with.

Thats all I have