We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Michael W. Streed. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Michael W. below.

Hi Michael W., thanks for joining us today. Going back to the beginning – how did you come up with the idea in the first place?

I was nearing the end of a successful 31-year law enforcement career when I was forced to consider my options post-retirement. I figured I was too young to sit around waiting to die, but I didn’t want to work for anyone else either.

At the beginning of my career, I trained to become a police sketch artist. From there, I pursued other facial identification disciplines, such as forensic facial reconstruction, age progression, and one-to-one facial comparison & analysis. As a detective, these became great tools to identify a suspect, return a person’s remains to their families, and close cases.

Once word got out, I began assisting other detectives inside and outside my department. That led me to paid gigs, travel, and establishing relationships with peers who worked on famous cases like the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan, and on a local level, here in Los Angeles, the Night Stalker serial murder case.

Nearing retirement, my side hustle was getting in the way of my day job. That’s when I knew that I could start a successful consultant business that eventually expanded worldwide. I knew I would miss driving fast with wailing sirens, blazing lights, and the smell of gunpowder floating in the air. Luckily, my business would help me stay connected with law enforcement, which I knew well.

And because I developed a strong distaste for acronyms that government organizations loved so much, I decided to describe my business using a catchy name – SketchCop.

Since then, I’ve consulted on murder cases from as far away as Uganda, traveled to West Africa to speak at a university, authored books, provided props for Bosch, and recently appeared as myself in a non-speaking role in Season 2 of the Lincoln Lawyer on Netflix.

Early in my career, I experienced success, which convinced me this was an endeavor worth pursuing. The feeling I get when my sketches help put a bad guy in jail is indescribable.

Much of my current success has come through embracing technology, understanding the value of marketing the media, and being willing to make sacrifices others might not be ready to make. Helping those who cannot help themselves is another strong motivator.

Being an entrepreneur is not for the faint of heart, but the rewards are great. Especially if you work in a field you’re familiar with and are passionate about.

It’s often said that if you love what you do, you’ll never have to work another day in your life. The rest is up to you.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am a (Ret.) Police Sergeant & award-winning, internationally recognized Forensic Facial Imaging Expert living in Southern California.

For over 40 years, I’ve used my extensive law enforcement experience and artistic skills to help investigators solve some of their most challenging cases.

I have assisted with identifying cop killers, serial killers, serial rapists, and other violent predators who have kidnapped, robbed, shot, or stabbed innocent victims.

I began my career as a police sketch artist in 1980 under the tutelage and mentorship of LAPD’s famed Police Composite Artist, Fernando G. Ponce. My goal was to develop additional skills to identify and arrest lawbreakers.

In 2011, I reached a career milestone when Baltimore Police selected me to become their first full-time police sketch artist. I was tasked with building their Forensic Facial Imaging Unit from the ‘ground up’ while managing one of the country’s busiest police sketch artist caseloads in one of America’s most violent cities.

In 2015, I converted the department’s Forensic Facial Imaging Unit to an online, digital operation. The first major city police agency to do so. Today, he remains the Baltimore Police Department’s police sketch artist, working remotely while continuing to serve the Los Angeles Police Department.

As CEO/President of SketchCop® Solutions, Inc., I have invested in state-of-the-art communications platforms and digital tools that connect me with law enforcement agencies throughout the continental United States and beyond. Our facial composite software app – SketchCop®, is used by law enforcement agencies worldwide.

I also provide a wide range of services that include but are not limited to, remote police sketches, age progression, forensic facial reconstruction, 1-to-1 facial comparison & analysis, craniofacial superimposition/skull-to-face overlay/forensic video analysis & processing, and photo editing for non-prejudicial police photo lineups. My use of technology and the wide variety of services I offer set me apart.

I’m also able to provide consultant services for investigators based on my experience, which helps them better understand how to use my services to reduce their investigative cycle times.

I’m most proud that I can help so many people and help them start the recovery process after they’ve experienced violent crime. Being able to help remove violent criminals from the street is also quite satisfying.

Creating a digital solution that changes the way global law enforcement creates faces and helping to create safer communities through an established global brand is a dream come true.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I aim to provide products and services to law enforcement and related industries to help them close cases faster and more efficiently. This not only helps to reduce the number of victims, but it also allows law enforcement to better use their resources by reducing investigative cycle times.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Most of my career has been spent providing law enforcement with sketches of suspects from eyewitness descriptions.

Over the last couple of years, law enforcement’s increased use of DNA and forensic video has reduced the number of requests for police sketches.

In response, I invested in forensic video examination and processing software while training to become a certified company expert.

My goal has always been to maintain a diversified portfolio of services available to law enforcement and the private sector.

I spend time searching the internet for emerging technologies that make sense for my business. When I find one that looks helpful, I quickly pivot and keep moving forward.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sketchcop.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesketchcopofficial/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSketchCopOfficial/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thesketchcop/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/thesketchcop
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SketchCop

Image Credits
Michael W. Streed Jeff Malet