SketchCop: Drawing A Line Against Crime

by Michael W. Streed

Orange Police Sergeant (Ret.) Michael W. Streed is "The SketchCop." He's a one-of-a-kind crime fighter who's frequently called into action by police departments seeking help solving their most difficult cases.

For over three decades, Michael has provided signature images for the country's most notorious murders, rapes, and kidnappings, including the kidnapping and murder of five-year-old Samantha Runnion, as well as the Baton Rouge Serial Killer.

The SketchCop has fought crime, coast-to-coast, from Los Angeles to Baltimore, Salt Lake City to Baton Rouge. Along the way, he has papered the walls of police squad rooms with sketches of their city's most dangerous criminals.

In this collection of true crime stories, Michael shares cases from his own portfolio. He describes how he connects with, and empowers, courageous victims and eyewitnesses, from all walks of life. Using their descriptions, the author creates life-like sketches of the assailants with an accuracy that has led to quick identifications and captures.

SketchCop - Drawing A Line Against Crime provides readers a glimpse at some of Michael W. Streed's career cases and the significant role he plays in the criminal justice system.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction

240 pages, Paperback

First published December 16, 2003

About the author

Michael W. Streed is an internationally-recognized  forensic facial imaging expert  based in Southern California.  For  42 years he has blended his rich law enforcement experience and artistic skills to provide forensic facial imaging services to  some of the largest, most diverse, police agencies in the United States, including the Los Angeles and Baltimore City Police Departments.

During his distinguished law enforcement career Michael investigated a variety of violent crimes, sexual assaults and juvenile crime. This helped him develop highly-specialized interview skills which he adapted for his role as a police sketch artist.  Michael’s unique perspective on eyewitnesses, coupled with his superior communication skills has made him one of Southern California’s most sought after police sketch artists. This led him to successfully develop police sketches for many high-profile cases such as: The Samantha Runnion murder, the Anthony Martinez murder, the Baton Rouge serial killer, and Orange County’s (CA) Fortune Teller murder.

Michael has long been recognized for his contributions to law enforcement through his use of forensic art.  His cases have been profiled on such shows as: ‘America’s Most Wanted’ and ‘Unsolved Mysteries’. He has also been profiled in several major newspapers and has been interviewed on: CNN with Connie Chung, Fox News Channel, ABC 20/20 with Barbara Walters and ID Discovery’s show “Wicked Attraction: Bad Fortune.”

Michael is also a noted author and popular lecturer on the subject of facial imaging/identification and true crime.  He is currently working on editing and republishing his books, CREATING DIGITAL FACES FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT & his true crime/memoir, SketchCop – Drawing A Line Against Crime under the media arm of his company-SketchCop Solutions, Inc. 

For Michael’s complete biography visit: http://sketchcop.com/about-the-sketch...

Reviews

[Bettye McKee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Forensic art

This is an interesting book which stresses the importance of police sketches in solving crime. The author boasts 35 years as a forensic artist who has assisted in the capture and arrest of many criminals during his career.

The material is somewhat repetitive and I found myself skimming until I got to the next case history. The book contains some illustrations comparing the author's sketch to the suspect's photograph.

I deducted one star for the "more than ten" typographic errors.

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a compelling group of stories of how one cop doing his job hunting down criminals one sketch at a time. He gives such compassion not only to his drawings but to the victims treating each one as if they were the first. Giving them what the need to feel comfortable to give him the story as he draws what they see in their mind. At times not everyone is truthful as you will read it is part of his job to find every little detail even those that are not telling the truth so they can find the right person who did the crime. No one is prefect as you will see inside these pages from the victim to the cops who put the bad guys away. We all make mistakes it is really painful when at times you make a big one and put the wrong one behind bars. Having a drawing help put the write one away along with today’s DNA which they did not have years ago.

Mr. Gauffi did a wonderful job of narration it was read in one voice which would have been the voice of the author. That is expect since there really isn’t any characters this is a story of facts of things that have happen and how sketch helps solve the crime. There are no background noises or any signs where the narrator took a break with the volume going from low to high which is a sure sign a break was taken. He gives very clear narration with a smooth voice that keeps you awake and interested in what you are learning. He lays the facts out giving compassion to the victims and all they had to go through. I look forward to listening to more from this narrator.

The author gives you a base that starts with him as a young boy wanting to be a cop just like his dad. He goes through his years with a switch to his job and his desire to draw combining it together. He goes through the start of pencil drawing taking you through to computer drawing and how that changed over the years. His input to the changes helping others make those changes in their department to how it effect the court room and having to prove what he does works. He writes about very interesting stories that has happen with him or others as well as the part he or other cops play in finding the guilty. As you well know not all criminals go to jail, not all are found, the innocent sometimes have to pay for a crime they didn’t commit. Thankfully with DNA this does not happen as much as it use to. The human mind is a mystery as you will see clearly through the eyes of the author. We see things different, being scared makes us see things different. I found this to be a very interesting listen with wonderful facts. We see the pictures but I doubt many everything about the person behind those drawings . Anyone who enjoys true crime and all that goes with it will enjoy this audio.

[Debbi Mack · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gave a new perspective on the importance of police sketch artists. As a lawyer, I appreciated the even-handed way that Streed discussed the pros and cons of his work. Apart from a few typos here and there, I thought the book was a thoroughly engaging story of how sketch artists help authorities catch criminals. As a crime fiction writer, I learned a great deal about this particular aspect of police procedure.

What I found most interesting was the importance of establishing rapport with witnesses in order to prompt the most accurate memories possible from the witness. I also approve of the idea that technology can help create suspect sketches, but that it's not a substitute for the human touch.

I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in police procedure and how creative people can help solve crimes.

[Susan Dorling · Rating 4 out of 5]

SketchCop: Drawing A Line Against Crime by Michael W. Streed is a great read for anybody interested in true crime. Most true crime books invariably focus on the criminals, but this book does not. It focuses on procedures used to help put these criminals behind bars. You definitely get the strong impression that Mr. Streed legitimately cared about the people he was trying to help and had a strong desire to put the people who had hurt them behind bars. He clearly treated the *victims* of these crimes with caring and respect. So many true crime books treat the victims almost as an afterthought.

A new and refreshing approach to true crime.

[Lee Husemann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always been in awe at the individuals who provide the sketches of the "bad guys" in criminal investigations. This is a very well written and well presented book about Author Michael Streed's career as a police officer and as a sketch artist. This book was very educational in that he described the aspects of how he got his career started, how to deal with victims that are usually traumatized and working to help catch the criminals. I have always been interested in True Crime and anything forensics and this book is a great addition to my library. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is a TC/forensics fan or even if you enjoy detective books.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book about how this man combined his love of art with his desire to be a cop. It includes crimes that he has helped solve plus how he has put a face on a skull to help identify a missing person. I like the fact he included a part about how witnesses or victims of a violent crime can sometimes be mistaken. A really interesting read that I enjoyed.

[Robyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very informative book about an excellent sketch artist and his 35 year career. The history of sketch artists and the cases they are involved in are fascinating. This book was also an emotional rollercoaster as the author details cases and his career. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys true crime.

[Rex · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like this book. Would have loved a little more information to the sketching. But all in all, a good read

Detailed review here http://www.readingghost.blogspot.dk/2...

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a very interesting read. Not an area of police work that I really studied at school and I liked learning a little more about this topic.

[Bonnye Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

GAB This is an excellent read, covering the growth of the contribution of the police sketch artist in the solving of crimes over the last 35 years in the life of Policeman Streed. Michael W. Streed began life imagining a career working at Walt Disney Studios, but found his niche as a policeman and sketch cop in southern California and Baltimore.

Early days he was used on only the most horrendous crimes, loaned to various cop shops around the area in Orange, Riverside and other counties in SoCa. As his talent for teasing the memories necessary to make a working likeness of the bad guys from frightened witnesses, his reputation grew as well. Drawing the likeness of the perpetrator of the crime is only possible when you can get past their fear and see through the eyes of the witness. Eventually he spent most of his time working with witnesses, helping train other sketch cops in the art of the interview, and perfecting software to help every cop shop develop the needed ability to see the criminal through the memories of the witnesses well enough to solve the crime.

This is an excellent memoir. I recommend it to anyone interested in crime solving.

Kindle Unlimited

[Deborah Farrow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining and informative

I never thought much about police sketch artists, because I never had to use one. I learned a lot about their job, and discovered that it really is a fine balancing act between getting the job done, and also empowering the witness. It must take a lot of emotional energy for everyone involved. That would be a difficult job to have, but at the same time, a very rewarding one. I learned a lot from this book.

[Irene Dobson · Rating 5 out of 5]

SketchCop

The book was fascinating because it explains a whole different view of police work and the contributions that the SketchCop offers to cases that otherwise would not have been solved without their knowledge of police and art knowledge. This book left me feeling like the Sketch Cop goes undervalued by the public when a case is solved. I highly recommend this book.

[Crime Traveller · Rating 5 out of 5]

The work of police sketch artists baffles and interests many and I am no exception. I jumped at the chance to review this book and I am delighted I did! In SketchCop: Drawing A Line Against Crime, author Michael Streed answers many of those questions and addresses the curiosity in his narrative on his career and most memorable cases. A well-written and engaging book that keeps you turning pages. Criminal cases are detailed including Streed's work on each case recreating the image of a suspect solely from the memory of an eyewitness.

The challenges of working with witness memory and perception and in producing accurate sketches are discussed alongside the issue of computer generated photofits. The importance of the witness interview and the psychological techniques used to aid recall provide an enlightening look at the day to day work of a police sketch artist. Anyone interested in criminal investigation and the work of forensic artists will enjoy this book and I am sure find it as educational as it is fascinating.

You can read my full review of SketchCop on Crime Traveller: http://www.crimetraveller.org/2016/04...

[Jerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book to be very interesting and informative.It covers different cases that Mr. Streed used his artistic talents to draw sketches of suspects from descriptions given by victims. I don't think I would be able to recall much if I were a victim. He uses several techniques to produce the sketches. His first step is to get the victim to trust him and to calm their jittery nerves. I think he should write another book, I'm sure he has lots more to share.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

“This audiobook was given by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom.”

SketchCop: Drawing a Line Against Crime
: Michael W. Streed

This memoir of a police sketch artist gives the listeners an inside look at some of the intriguing cases during his career. I really enjoyed this book.



The narration was well done.The characters were well portrayed.