Forensic Art Direction

Forensic Art has been used as an investigative tool in solving crimes as

far back as the 1800s. In more recent years it has gained popularity
due to investigative TV shows and media outlets creating an interest
for individuals who want to use their artistic skills to help solve crimes.
However, the number of job positions available remains quite low.
Currently there are approximately 200 full-time, part-time and contract
forensic artists working in the United States. Of those, only about 30
are full-time positions. If forensic art is the valuable investigative tool
we all know it to be, why are there so few forensic art positions? What
can we do to improve this and advance the forensic art discipline well
into the future?
The media attention on forensic art has created an atmosphere of
excitement, good will and a desire in people to offer their interest in
drawing to local law enforcement departments, whenever possible.
Minimally trained and marginally talented individuals are volunteering
their time and efforts in the quest to seek justice and advocate for
victims and their families. Their work is published in the media and is
often seen as incompetent and misleading. The criminal case is stifled
or de-railed due to misleading leads caused by the composite sketch.
Law Enforcement loses confidence in forensic art and concludes that
the discipline is not a reliable investigative tool and cannot justify
funding a forensic art position. Delegating the forensic art
responsibility to an individual or group that will not or cannot provide a
more advanced understanding of criminal investigative and
interviewing techniques, rules of evidence and a host of other case
liability issues, is setting up the Forensic Art discipline and law
enforcement to fail miserably due to increased hype by the media and
scrutiny by civilian oversight commissions and innocence commissions.
Victims of crime deserve better. Formally trained forensic artists who
have an advanced level of institutional and investigative knowledge far
beyond the art school and forensic art workshop is where the Forensic
Art discipline should be focused.
With all of this interest in forensic art and people wanting to pursue it
as a career many forensic artists are now providing training
opportunities to anyone and everyone. Let us not forget that forensic
art is a law enforcement discipline. We are in a crime to court
business. With many instructors hosting an open door policy of training
anyone and everyone, we have individuals who are insufficiently
trained providing casework to law enforcement agencies, casework
that in most cases involves a homicide and/or serious violent offenses.
With the current open door policy it is incumbent and imperative for
law enforcement agencies to be the gate-keeper of their most

important responsibility; preserving the integrity of their criminal

investigations, by seeking out the best Forensic Artist available to
them.
With minimally trained and talented people attending forensic art
workshops, law enforcement will have an even more difficult task to
evaluate the true artistic ability of a potential applicant for a forensic
art position without the independent and critical eye of a formally
trained Forensic Artist on the interview board. This must be the
mission of the forensic art discipline and passionate forensic artist.
Otherwise, why should law enforcement set aside funding for forensic
art when they can get the work done for free?
Training individuals outside of law enforcement to do forensic artwork
is detrimental to our discipline. Looking at the forensic art discipline as
a whole, we are not building our discipline. We are engaging in
destructive behavior for immediate individual gain and notoriety.
Criminal investigative casework must be competent and accurate,
sufficiently documented and can stand up to the scrutiny of a defense
attorney. If it is not, we risk forensic art being seen as a junk science.
We need to take responsibility for this and protect the integrity and
future of our discipline. We need to build our discipline from within the
law enforcement community by supporting those who are trying to
create forensic art positions within their departments. We need to
reach out to local law enforcement agencies to educate them on
forensic art and offer our services. If they do not have a forensic artist
on staff, we can find one who can assist that department.
From composite sketches to facial reconstructions, forensic art is a law
enforcement discipline that provides an important investigative
support function. We need to protect the integrity of our discipline.
This requires that we:
a. Are properly trained and determined to be competent through
relevant testing prior to conducting casework.
b. Remain aware of his/her limitations and only offer services or
opinions that are within his/her area of expertise.
c. Use best practices and standards, including peer reviews
appropriate to his/her discipline, when conducting casework.
d. Confront and challenge any unethical, illegal, or scientifically
questionable conduct of other practitioners.
e. Maintain a constant spirit of fairness, combined with high
ethical educational and technical standards; thereby promoting justice
and creating increased confidence in the profession of forensic art; and

by exemplary conduct and scientific thoroughness carry out the aims

of advancing the field of forensic art.
My hope is that we can pull together to establish standards and best
practices, peer reviews, and training to the law enforcement
community and assist law enforcement agencies in hiring proficient
forensic artists to grow and advance our discipline.

DRG1/15