About the San José Police Artist

The main function of the Police Artist is to interview witnesses in order to create freehand drawings or sculptures of criminal suspects. He may also be asked to interview witnesses to draw likenesses of missing persons; Draw or sculpt likenesses from decomposed or partially decomposed remains; Alter or modify likenesses from decomposed or partially decomposed remains utilizing freehand drawings or enhanced computer graphic software; Alter or modify photographs for criminal identification; Prepare Age Progression images to alter the ages of suspects, missing children or witnesses.

Consult with criminal justice specialists, hypnotists, psychics, and medical doctors to render likenesses of suspects and victims. Provide expert testimony on identification during criminal trials. Prepare graphic design material for departmental training sessions and special departmental operations such as diagrams, final drawings, exhibits and photographs either from direct consultation with staff members or from rough sketches.

This is a single position journey level class in the Police Department principally involved with specialized art work of Forensic Identification of individuals. Work is typically performed independently. This class differs from the class of Graphic Artist in that the incumbent of this class specializes in freehand portrait renditions for law enforcement identification purposes.

Officer Gil Zamora, has been the Police Artist since 1995. He was an apprentice for the position from 1992 to 1995. Gil currently provides over 300 sketches a year for SJPD and many other law enforcement agencies around the Northern California area.

 

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