The SketchCop® Blog

When I began my career as a police sketch artist, there was only a handful of people doing the job.  Even then, few were full-time.  Most of us were beat cops or detectives.   We enjoyed being cops, but we also enjoyed using our drawing skills to help catch more bad guys.

Armed with nothing more than a pencil, pad of paper and an eraser, we went to work.  At the time, that is all we had.  It was low-tech, but it worked out pretty well.  As a result of our efforts, many dangerous criminals were identified and sent to jail.

Fast forward to today and forensic artists have an array of software tools at their fingertips.  The traditional pencil, paper and eraser combination has been supplemented by electronic tablets, input devices and art-centric software.  This has not only made our jobs faster and easier, but it also opened up other opportunities to enhance our skills.

I was an easy convert.  For years I have been working with Adobe® Photoshop® digital imaging software and using Wacom Technologies’ pen/tablet as my favored input device.  (My first tablet was a small Wacom Graphire.)

As technology continues to advance, so does the field of forensic art.  With software like our SketchCop® FACETTE Face Design System software, paired with Adobe® Photoshop®, Wacom Technologies and Corel, we are opening the field to non-artist who have the desire to create faces and help their communities.

Armed with the right tools and training, another category of identification specialist will soon be added to the mix – the Facial Identification Technician.  Having trained technicians at the ready will ensure that law enforcement has the right tools to identify more criminals.

SketchCop Solutions continues to lead the field of forensic facial imaging by providing relevant training and solutions for law enforcement and academics.  Please check back with us as we continue to look at some of these new tools and announce upcoming training opportunities.

 

SketchCop Solutions is pleased to add Troy, MI Police Department to our list of valued law enforcement clients.  Like many police agencies, they were frustrated by the lack of quality facial composite software programs.  They wanted a program that was versatile, easy to use and had a training component that supported the software.

Troy Police Department took the extraordinary step of inviting The SketchCop himself to their department to provide specialized training.  The training included interviewing techniques, courtroom testimony, software basics, how to use Adobe Photoshop, practical exercises and much, much more.

The Troy Police Department hosted the 2-day training course in their state-of-the-art training facility and were wonderful hosts.  SketchCop Solutions hopes that integrating SketchCop FACETTE into their arsenal of forensic evaluation tools will help them catch more crooks.

To see how you can get your own copy of SketchCop FACETTE and onsite/online training, be sure to contact us today!

 

Each day, forensic artists work with victims and eyewitnesses to exploit an assailant’s most visible asset – their face.  Whether using traditional methods, or a computer software program, these dedicated artists provide facial composites to law enforcement with the hope they will lead to an identification.

Now, investigators have a new high-tech tool to add to their forensic facial imaging toolbox – facial recognition.  These powerful software programs rely on high-speed mathematical algorithms to quickly examine and sort through an innumerable amount of photographs hoping to match them to the target image.  A list of probable candidates is then forwarded to investigators for further follow up.

Surveillance photographs, still images and composite sketches are but just a few of the images that can be fed into these systems.  With the proliferation of cell phone cameras, private and governmental surveillance camera systems, as well as other image capture devices, law enforcement are relying on these images more than ever before. [Read more…] about SketchCop Solutions is Turning Heads with ForensicaGPS

SketchCop Solutions is pleased to announce the launch of SketchCop REMOTE.  Our new online service connects law enforcement with a skilled, qualified forensic artist.  Agencies without access to a forensic artist can now request an appointment with only the click of a mouse. [Read more…] about SketchCop REMOTE-Online, Anywhere, Anytime…

SketchCop Solutions continues into 2015 as Law Enforcement’s Source for Facial Imaging and Identification.  We do this by offering cost-effective solutions for law enforcement agencies – large or small.  We offer case consulting services, remote composite interviews, facial composite software, training and much more.

Consult our website at: www.SketchCop.com to learn more.

Here are some of our upcoming highlights.  [Read more…] about Making Faces with SketchCop Solutions

SketchCop Solutions invites all civilian and military law enforcement agencies, intelligence groups, private investigators, corporate security firms, academic forensic science programs and other select organizations to try SketchCop FACETTE, our industry-leading facial composite software.  SketchCop FACETTE creates ‘killer images’ that close cases and bring criminals to justice.

Facial composites have proven themselves to be an effective law enforcement tool for over 100 years!  In many high-profile cases they are signature images that become forever associated with a case. With SketchCop FACETTE you can create your own signature images.  SketchCop FACETTE makes it easy to CLICK, CAPTURE and CONVICT your suspect when you team up your investigators and eyewitnesses with our software.

That’s because SketchCop FACETTE Face Design System Software is arguably the first facial composite software capable of yielding the same quality product offered by that of a police sketch artist. It’s designed to help produce a consistent end-product to assist in the reduction of investigative cycle times.

SketchCop FACETTE is portable and easy to use.  In the hands of trained personnel it acts as a force multiplier that can turn your entire law enforcement agency into a team of police sketch artists for LESS money than it takes to train ONE traditional police sketch artist. By placing SketchCop FACETTE into the hands of more people, you can create an unlimited number of digital composite images. And with today’s emphasis on timely intelligence gathering, SketchCop FACETTE is a real time, cost-effective, 24/7 solution for any law enforcement agency.

SketchCop FACETTE has many features and benefits, including our database which is populated with sketched facial components.  This is especially helpful for non-artists who want to create high-quality composite images for their department.

SketchCop Solutions offers FREE 2 month trial versions of SketchCop FACETTE.  We also offer several training options and we DO NOT charge yearly maintenance fees. Visit our Contact Page to request your demo/trial.  You have nothing to lose, and who knows?  You just might catch a couple of crooks along the way!