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Chapter 2
The Composite Session
Basic Concepts
As stated earlier, all composite sketches are done during a standard composite session. The composite session includes drawing and interviewing. First, let’s exam- ine some basic concepts needed to conduct a composite session successfully. An acknowledgment worth noting is that artists throughout the country will have many of their own variations for this technique. The following is more like a revelation of observed propensities and an exploration of a particular set of procedures that have been developed over time. The reasons for these prescribed composite con- cepts will be discussed. The proof of their effectiveness is illustrated for the many investigations for which they were successfully implemented. The development of composite session skills is directly related to the level of professionalism one obtains. Professionalism is having the knowledge and compe- tence expected from the skills of a specific discipline. This seems like an obvious statement for many professions. The police composite artist must see him- or her- self as a professional. Though a given in many other technical forensic disciplines, it has not always been the case in the field of forensic art. This is attributed to the fact that many law enforcement agencies do not have access to a trained artist and may settle for someone without the full complement of artistic skills necessary to do the job. The department or artist is not at fault. An individual with the basic talent or desire to be an artist may not have had the opportunity or funds to pursue it com- pletely. This has resulted in many police composite sketches looking amateurish or just anatomically wrong. This is a problem for the profession. Fortunately, in the past 20 years, there have been greater opportunities for the police artist to get train- ing and information about composite sketching techniques. The isolation of a police artist is not as prevalent today as it was in the 1980s and earlier. There are more avenues for communication, such as the Internet. Additionally, there are forensic science and art organizations that make it easier to get help. Though nobody starts a forensic art career with great composite session abilities, it is up to the artist to have professional-level artistic skills. I was fortunate to have acquired solid artistic skills prior to entering the field of forensic art. As mentioned earlier, this was directly related to college-level
S. Mancusi, The Police Composite Sketch , DOI 10.1007/978-1-60761-832-4_2, 17 © C (^) Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2010
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instruction of the techniques that are vital for the professional graphic artist. It takes a diligent effort to hone one’s artistic skills. Nevertheless, the experienced, well- trained general artist will still not possess the unique knowledge required to conduct a composite session. Every artist will need to attain this knowledge to develop a suspect composite sketch. The following is a brief account of my first attempt at a composite session. Many of the composite session concepts that will be discussed were not fully developed back then.
Story 3: “First Sketch”
There really isn’t any warning when the department is going to transfer you into a new command. I had been interviewed and tested for the Artist Unit. I was told the commanding officer of the Latent Print Section (the parent section of the Artist Unit) had requested the transfer, but neither of us had any idea when that would happen. Upon arriving to work one afternoon at the 81st precinct to perform normal patrol duty, I was told that my transfer had come through and, as of the next morning. I should report to my new command. The news caught me and the Latent Print Section’s commanding officer off-guard, as well as Detective Frank Domingo, who had recommended me. I was there bright and early the next day. During the first couple of days of orientation, I was told Frank would begin my training when he got back. He was on leave for a few days. I was working a tour that generally had me alone in the unit answering the phones and making future appointments. On the second or third day, a call came in for a composite sketch from the Manhattan Sex Crimes Squad. They were looking for a suspect sketch to be done that day. I figured, “I know how to draw. Damn! I’m already a professional illustrator.” Eager to get my feet wet, I told them to come in. Honestly, I didn’t make the decision on my own. Before committing to do the sketch, I asked the fingerprint supervisor on duty if I should do it. In his defense, what did he know? He was told I could draw. So why not let me try? It was a sexual assault that had occurred in the city. The squad arrived at the office with the victim right on time. I would love to tell you that I was a natural and the session went smoothly without a hitch. How could it? I had no concept of what or how a composite sketch was done. As far as I was concerned, the victim tells me what the guy looks like and I draw the face. I’m not even sure if I was savvy enough to offer the victim a seat or a cup of coffee at the appropriate time. Take a look at the pencil drawing of the old man (Fig. 2.1). This is the level of drawing skill I was capable of. As you can see, I knew how to draw. I presumed my composite sketch would be equally good. I asked the victim what the guy looked like and started to sketch from there. My whole focus was to draw a face and make it look good. I quickly realized that this was not going to be easy. I wasn’t just copying a picture of a face. As a matter a fact, I had no idea what the face that I was drawing looked like. So I struggled with every line. I was asking questions, drawing, erasing, and drawing some more. I started with an eye, a nose, and so on. Unsurprisingly,
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Fig. 2.2 Stephen’s first sketch
Fig. 2.3 Unknown composite artist’s sketch
The Beginning of the Composite Session 21
In addition to the requirement of professionalism and organization, some other issues should be addressed up front. The careful consideration of the session’s environment is one. All composite sessions should be conducted in a managed envi- ronment. This is an area over which you have complete control. Field sketches are a reality and the normal course of action for many composite artists, but this con- trol can be little more difficult to attain (see the section entitled “Field Sketches” in Chapter 6). When possible, the bulk of your sessions should take place in your studio or office. The NYPD’s Artist Unit has a large room with several drafting desks. The lighting is good and each desk has a lamp. All the equipment described in Chapter 1 is abundantly available. There are comfortable chairs for the victims or witnesses. The Artist Unit is equipped with files of mug photographs of all races, ages, and genders, in addition to other visual references. There is every attempt to keep the area appearing un-police-like. You do not want people intimated by the session environment. The artist’s attire is also a consideration. He or she should not look like a cop. Uniforms are not recommended. People are generally intimidated by them, and this is not helpful during a composite session. Consider this for a moment especially if you are a police officer yourself. When you are stopped for a traffic violation in your car and the cop walks up to you, how do you feel? This highway cop is projecting an authority figure necessary for this circumstance. It is completely the opposite condition for a composite session. You don’t want a witness or victim to feel you are an imposing authority figure when you first meet. Many witnesses, vic- tims, and even detectives were surprised when I revealed during the session that I was a detective. You will find that keeping controllable distractions at a mini- mum and the office environment pleasant during a session will benefit your overall results.
The Beginning of the Composite Session
Prior to the start of any composite session, you must get the presession prelim- inary information from the investigating detective. You should attempt to gather this information without the victim or witness present. Some of the obvious details required will include the crime and the date, time, and location of the occurrence. Additionally, ascertain if this case is part of any ongoing crime pattern and if any other sketches have been prepared. Furthermore, the detective’s impressions of the victim or witness can be helpful. This includes such information as the mental and physical condition of the victim and whether he or she is being coop- erative. Detectives do not volunteer all the information upfront—mostly because they don’t know you need it. Always ask if the victim or witness previously looked at mug shot photographs. This is for a couple reasons. First, many times the vic- tim may have picked out someone who looked like the suspect but is not him or her. It will greatly help if that photograph is available. However, before viewing any photograph a detective may have brought, be certain the photograph is not
Working Case Study: “The Psycho Straphanger” 23
As standard procedure, almost all victims and witnesses are accompanied to the composite session by the detective assigned to the case. On occasion, if the investi- gating detective is not available at the time the composite session is to take place, an unescorted-victim appointment can be arranged. This would not be recommended. The goal is to make this process as painless as possible for the witness or victim. Since this person is helping the department with the investigation, the least we can do is transport him or her to police headquarters for the composite session. One Police Plaza is the NYPD’s headquarters and the location of the Artist Unit. There are other reasons for the individual to be escorted. Some witnesses are not as reliable as others. Detectives spend a lot of time tracking down people for their investigations. Having a sketch prepared gives them a reason to get a vital witness or victim into their custody. Many times they can get other investigative work done with this person prior to or after the composite session. Having the investigating detective present during the session also allows you to get the previously mentioned presession information directly from the detective. Additionally, many times you may elicit other information from the victim during your session interview. The new information revealed may not be related to the composite sketch but could aid in the investigation and be of interest to the detective assigned. The standard procedure is to have the investigating detective present at the time of the session. A composite session appointment was arranged for the June 1989 victim in the “Psycho Straphanger” case. The squad detective escorted the recent victim, who happened to be a male parole officer, to police headquarters. The composite session started the moment they arrived. The initial few minutes of a session are crucial to setting the tone of the whole session. The session interview starts at your first greeting:
Hi. I’m Stephen, the department artist. It’s nice to meet you.
There is a balance between the interview and drawing during any session. It starts with the interview and continues throughout the session. The drawing becomes more prevalent later in the session and continues until it ends. Start every session with the obvious pleasantries. This means basic stuff, like asking, “What’s your name?” and “How are you?” Invite the witness or victim into your office. Offer him or her a seat, coffee, and let him or her get comfortable. Victims and witnesses are your visitors; treat them that way. You want them at ease. Once this has been accomplished, if you haven’t already gotten the presession information from the detective, do it now. If you need to talk to the detective, try to do it outside the office, especially if the presession information might be sensitive for the witness or victim participant to hear. Do not alienate the participant, but explain that there is some police business that needs to be taken care of prior to the start of the session. It has been noted that as long as you keep the participant informed as to what is going on, he or she will feel more a part of the process. At this point, the stage has been set. You have all the presession preliminary information, and the witness or victim is seated comfortably. You are ready to con- tinue the session. Offer a short explanation of the process to the witness or victim
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participant right in the beginning. Let him or her know what to expect and what his or her role will be. This was explained to the victim of the “Psycho Straphanger.”
We are going to draw a composite sketch of the guy who did this. I will be asking you questions about what happened and what the suspect looks like. Just answer them as best you can. If you don’t have the answer to a particular question, that’s okay, too.
As the composite artist, it is our job to handle insufficient witness or victim participant information. This topic will be covered later. For now, this is all the explanation the participant needs. As the session continues, additional information will be supplied to the participant. You are now starting the core of your session’s interview. This is your turf, and you need to be in control of the process.
The Interview
The initial interview is the first phase of the session’s overall interview. The ses- sion’s initial interview began with the opening “Hellos.” The following question is often asked: Does the artist need to have a detective’s experience interrogating sus- pects, and will this help the artist conduct a composite session?” The short answer is no. Composite artists do not interrogate. We interview. The assumption right from the beginning is the witness or victim wants to help. This belief generally continues throughout the session. Even if it is apparent or you are told prior to the session by the investigating detective that there are some reservations about a particular witness or victim participant, you should continue with the previous assumption (see the sec- tion “Intentional Difficult Behaviors” in Chapter 6). In the “Psycho Straphanger” case, the victim was a parole officer, so this assumption seemed clear. I had a coop- erative victim who wanted to help. I could govern my interview accordingly. This is not to say that all law enforcement officers make good witnesses, because they don’t. Yet one does lean toward the belief that the victim is going to be very cooperative. There are basically two interviewing techniques used during a composite ses- sion. They should be used in conjunction with each other. The first is the cognitive interview technique, which allows the witness or victim to speak freely about the incident and the suspect being described. The artist gives little direction during this process. The artist will ask broad questions, such as “What did you see?” or “What happened?” This technique is usually used early during the initial interview. Following are the four basic cognitive interviewing methods:
- Have the witness reconstruct the circumstances surrounding the incident.
- Explain to the witness that he or she should report everything, no matter how insignificant it may seem.
- Have the witness or victim recall the events in a different order.
- The witness or victim may also recall the incident from a new or different perspective.
26 2 The Composite Session
saw the suspect. A passive witness is also considered a reliable witness. The lowest level of witness is the inactive witness. I refer to inactive witnesses as the preverbal “doorman witness.” This witness views the suspect prior to or after the commission of the crime. At the time an inactive witness views a suspect, he or she doesn’t have any knowledge of the crime and wouldn’t have a reason to remember the individ- ual. This witness has to recall the information when questioned later. If the witness from the “Psycho Straphanger” case was the train conductor, who saw the suspect board the train before the incident and later found out what happened, he would be an inactive witness. There wasn’t any real reason for him to memorize the suspect when he first viewed him. An inactive witness is considered less reliable than active or passive witnesses. The composite artist can conduct a session with all levels of witnesses. This kind of situational information is usually revealed during the initial interview with the use of the cognitive interviewing technique. It appeared that the “Psycho Straphanger” victim was going to be a good witness. I asked him to tell me what happened and what he saw. He was comfortable in the session environment, partially because he is a parole officer and involved with law enforcement. He was talking freely. He stated his best look of the suspect was prior to the attack when he was being eyeballed by the perpetrator. This raised the parole officer’s suspicions of this individual, and he felt something was imminent. As he talked about what had happened, he described the suspect as a young, male, black, maybe in his early 20s. His first descriptive words were. “He was average-looking, but angry.” This is an important statement. Though average or normal appearances are the most common descriptive words offered during a composite session, they still describe a specific facial type. It was noted that most likely nothing is unusual about this individual. He did add that he looked angry. At this point, if not already revealed, an inquiry is made if this perception was prior to or during the attack. If it was prior to, it becomes a significant characteristic. Common sense tells you it is expected that the guy would look angry during the attack. There would be a good chance that he didn’t walk around with this expression on his face. However, there are people whose general nonexpressive facial features suggest an intensity or anger. This is caused by the angle of the eyebrows or brow ridge and the natural curve of the mouth. The “Psycho Straphanger” victim felt the suspect was angry even before the incident. This was mentally noted. The essential information required during this initial interview is the suspect’s human pedigree: basically age, race, and gender. Additional information that must be attained are the environmental factors that existed during the crime, such as the lighting, location, time, and any other condition that may have affected the person’s perception of the suspect. Toward the end of the initial interview, if the before-mentioned facts have not been revealed, direct police interview questions are required. There are some particular elements that regularly require direct questions at the end of the initial interview. They typically lead me to ask my first police interview-type questions:
Do you recall anything unusual about the suspect? Was anything covering part of his head, such as a hat, glasses, or facial hair?
Memory 27
This kind of information is very important. With these questions, your goal is to ascertain if the suspect had any peculiar facial features such as a bizarre nose, scars, or tattoos. A witness can forget to mention something as obvious as a hat. Mustaches and beards are often overlooked by the victim and sometimes left out in the initial description. It has been found that a witness can easily forget facial hair, but will not add it if it was not there. You want to ask these questions at first in a general fashion. You don’t lead the witness. Nevertheless, they are significant features and cannot be overlooked. Victims and witnesses aren’t aware of everything that you need to know. It is vital at some point to draw their attention to these elements. During the initial interview with the parole officer, most of this pertinent infor- mation was revealed. I did have to ask those above-listed questions. The victim informed me that he remembered some kind of mark on the perpetrator’s neck. It was mentally noted. I want to emphasize that this was standard procedure up to this point in the “Psycho Straphanger” session. I conduct my sessions almost the same way every time. This is not to say that one doesn’t have to adjust the procedure occasionally according to circumstances of a particular case. But through the execution of a stan- dard procedure, you are assured that all aspects of the session and interview are covered. Once the composite sketch session procedure is ingrained, it affords the confidence and luxury of knowing that nothing is being missed.
Memory
Let’s put the “Psycho Straphanger” case aside for a moment. This is a good time to explore concepts related to the witness’s or victim’s memory. Human memory is a complicated subject and would need volumes to explain. Nevertheless, knowing some of the following basic concepts about memory will help the implementation of any composite session. During the initial interview and evaluation of the witness, the artist acquires a good idea of the circumstances surrounding the case. The artist should also have some understanding of the strength or weakness of a victim’s or witness’s memory. The witness’s or victim’s memory is the primary source of infor- mation about the suspect for the artist. The artist must possess the ability to render a composite drawing with complete confidence. The real challenge lies in the retrieval and understanding of the descriptive information located in a person’s memory. The witness/victim interview is the process used to extract this information. No matter how well the artist draws, he or she is always limited to the information stored in a witness’s or victim’s memory. An understanding of memory is paramount to conducting a successful interview. To understand the participant’s memory, the artist must first understand the forma- tion of that memory. An individual’s memory of the suspect is a product of the person’s perception of that suspect at the time of the incident. The perceptions are affected by the conditions that existed during that moment, which include lighting, distance, viewpoint, shock, and viewing time, among others.
Memory 29
Fig. 2.4 Distortion perspective of witness viewing angles
The average- or normal-looking individual is harder to recall and less memorable. Additionally, the suspect’s race can directly affect perception. How often have you heard that all Asian people look alike? Well, they don’t. They are just like every other race. But if the witness is unfamiliar with a particular race, his or her percep- tion will be affected by this. Maybe he or she lives in an area where there aren’t many Asian people and he or she doesn’t like Chinese food. He or she never really has any interaction with this race. Witnesses of this nature are going to think that all Asians look alike because of life experience. In contrast, certain individuals such as Hispanic and West Indian victims are able to distinguish, just by facial appearance, the country or island from which a particular suspect may have originated. There are other obvious factors that may affect witness perceptions. Was the scene well lit or did the crime happen at night in the dark? How far was the witness from the suspect? The effects on perception from these conditions are obvious and should be noted by the artist at the start of a session. Was the suspect wearing a disguise like a mask or a bandana? When the person only saw the suspect with a particular disguise and that disguise was hiding facial features, the disguise becomes a facial characteristic (Fig. 2.5). Unless there is additional information available that describes the hidden area of the face, the artist will include the disguise in the sketch.
30 2 The Composite Session
Fig. 2.5 Suspect disguise
Another consideration is the witness’s or victim’s state of mind. If a victim was out late drinking and then was assaulted, how sharp is his or her memory going to be? Most likely dull. His or her perception will be somewhat skewed. Unfortunately, some of these external and internal forces will be at work with all the witnesses and victims you are going to be interviewing. Not to say that any one of them or even any combination of them will exclude an individual from a composite session. Understanding these factors and how they have affected perception will help you conduct your interview, hopefully yielding some insight into what can be expected from a particular memory.
Case Study 1: “Impaired Victim”
The following case illustrates the effect external and internal factors will have on perception and demonstrates the pressure perception places on a victim’s memory. The victim was a female. This was a sexual assault that occurred when the victim was very drunk. It was late at night in an unlit area. These are bad external and internal forces that will absolutely affect her perception. She was partially living on the streets. She would hang out with others like herself, getting high and drunk all night. On this particular night, she was attacked by one of these acquaintances. Even though her lifestyle put her at risk, it was still a crime and deserved the same attention as any other. The NYPD, in all of its professionalism, does just that. The detectives of the NYPD are some of the best in the world and see themselves as
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be illustrated. The victim, though weak on detail, was strong on impression, result- ing in this type of composite. This composite is an image from a drunk, stoned mind and reflected just that. This suspect was ultimately identified and arrested with the help of the sketch. It is always helpful if there is a geographical area for the officers to canvass that will narrow down the suspect possibilities. In this case, there was. The sketch was not exactly the suspect, but the essence of him was right on. It was enough to be recognized by a police officer on patrol armed with the sketch. This case not only demonstrates the power of perception, but again it demonstrates this effective inves- tigative tool. Through the recognition of another, a detective can get a lead as to the identity of an unknown suspect. The composite sketch uses the process that humans are so good at to catch the bad guy through “recognition.” This divulges another aspect of memory. The artist needs to understand the pro- cesses used by an individual to retrieve the information stored in the memory. These mental processes are recognition and recall. Recognition is the ability to perceive someone or something you’ve seen before. This function is the stronger of the two. Detectives use witness recognition when executing lineups and photo-arrays. This is why lineup identifications are considered good evidence in a court of law. As human beings, we are very good at recognizing people. We have to be. Our whole society is based on knowing the people we have met. How often have you heard, “I am great with faces, but I always forget names”? Well, face recognition is easy, but we need to recall the name, which is hard. A good example of the difference between recog- nition and recall is the contrast of a fill-in-the-blank test and a multiple-choice test. Which is easier? The multiple-choice test is. We only have to perceive or recognize which answer goes with a particular question. A fill-in-the-blank test requires us to recall the answer out of thin air. Unfortunately, as composite artists, we are relying on the recall process. Recall is the summoning back of information stored in the memory. The artist relies on the witness’s recall to retrieve the descriptive infor- mation of the suspect. Because this function is a more difficult task for a witness, the resulting sketch can be inaccurate or unable to be completed. It is the nature of the recall process that keeps a composite sketch in the realm of possibility and art. Given the inherent weakness of a person’s recall, the person may still be able to recognize and positively identify a suspect even if a sketch cannot be completed (see the section “Session Terminations” in Chapter 8). Memory consists of a number of elements stored in the brain. The retrieval of this group of elements is achieved through several memory access routes. These routes could be triggered and enhanced by outside reminders and/or techniques. There are some perfect examples that illustrate this. Our responses to songs and smells are two of them. Everyone has experienced a particular song that brings them back to a specific moment in their lives. Even a smell can trigger a strong memory from the past. Though these two enhancers are not necessarily helpful during a session, the artist will use a variety of techniques to aid an individual in recalling the information stored in his or her memory. When implementing different interview strategies, the artist can enhance the recall process. Some of these strategies include the cognitive interviewing techniques described earlier. In addition, getting the person to relax
Memory 33
and feel at ease will also help enhance these memory routes. Though I am not a big believer in hypnosis, there was a time when I first began as a forensic artist that this was in use within the NYPD. During hypnotic trances, witnesses were asked questions about the suspect in the hope that the witness would remember some suppressed information. I can’t say that I ever really saw it dramatically help. There was a greater possibility that the questioner might inject false memories. This technique was stopped by court order. However, the concept of relaxation does help enhance recall and can be used during a session. The greatest tool we have as composite artists to enhance memory access routes is the use of photograph reference. In fact, the random groups of mug shots or a facial catalog used during a composite session are mainly for this purpose. When viewing photographs for a similar characteristic to the suspect he or she is trying to describe, victim or witness is using the stronger process of recognition. The witness perceives images that remind him or her of the suspect. Photographic references are important tools in the forensic artist’s arsenal. You want to use them accordingly. It has been noted while observing witnesses viewing photographs that a witness may view one image that triggers another memory of a particular feature on a dif- ferent photograph. This process is definitely tapping into a person’s recognition abilities. The use of visual references will aid the individual in verbalizing that vague facial image he or she has stored in memory. The description of a nose is much easier if a person can show you one first. The old adage “a picture is worth a thou- sand words” seems to apply here perfectly. Verbal descriptions are all about words. Also, the possibility of the artist’s misinterpreting the verbal description of the sus- pect is greatly reduced. It is one thing for a person to say the suspect had a round head if there are no visual references as to what the individual thinks is a round head. The artist will draw his or her own interpretation. This person’s recollec- tion may not be strong enough to question the artist’s interpretation of “round.” If the person shows the artist a picture of a round head, the artist may think it looks square. Yet the interpretation is drawn as the selected reference photograph suggests. Let’s now apply these memory concepts to the victim of the “Psycho Straphanger” case. He was on a well-lit train at the end of a work day. He was seated only a few feet from the suspect. He viewed the suspect when his suspicions first became aroused. He is a parole officer and has had contact with many indi- viduals of this type. The composite session was conducted a very short time after the incident. What does this suggest? The perceptive factors leading up to the foun- dation of the victim’s memory are ideal. As a matter of fact, these circumstances could be considered excellent. In a situation like this, there are high expectations for this composite session. The expectations can be compared to standing at the plate during a baseball game waiting for a pitch. As a batter, you are hoping for a fastball to the outside corner of the plate. The pitcher throws exactly that. You should get a hit. Even though in this case, the suspect had an average look. The memory of the victim should be strong. If I conduct a thorough interview, this victim’s memory should possess a relatively good mental image. I can push a little on this victim’s
The Composite Session Continues 35
the person has picked this mug shot or that one. The detective is hoping the victim will identify a photograph of the suspect. This is a possibility, but as far as the needs of the session, it is not the point of the photograph references. This kind of intrusive hovering can be a distraction and influence the desired purpose. Believe me, if the victim thinks he sees the suspect, he will let everyone know. Many kinds of distractive elements can also influence the whole session. For a moment, let’s discuss other human distractions. As a rule, do not let the detective or anyone else interject during the session. If a detective interjects at any time, he or she is out of the office. I don’t mind the detective being present during a session. A lot of times detectives are just interested in the process. The detective may have developed a close bond with a victim and the victim might want to have him or her there for support. Still, if he or she interjects, he or she is out of the office. Of course, it is done tactfully. Most detectives are professional and very aware of this and are welcome during a session. It is the first-timers who might need a little explanation as to their role in this process. There are other possibilities of human distractions in and around the session envi- ronment. The victim of the “Psycho Straphanger” was accompanied by his wife. She was there for support, which is fine. Family or friends are generally there for emotional support and are welcome. They can add to the general conversation and help keep the environment light. Most children need parents to be present, and younger people like to have friends with them. Friends and family are fine as long as they don’t interject their opinion about the incident as it relates to the suspect’s description, a description they would know nothing about. Their presence will have a positive effect. On occasion, it will become apparent that the victim may be afraid or nervous to talk in front of a husband, wife, father, and/or mother. If this is the case, you will need to remove the guest from the session environment. Do it tact- fully and explain it is standard operating procedure not to have him or her in the office during the composite session. There should be a comfortable waiting area outside the office. This was not the case with the “Psycho Straphanger” victim’s wife. She remained in the office. The session dynamics are very important. Creating a friendly, inspiring, and inter- esting session environment is crucial. During the normal course, an outside observer may perceive a session as casual and informal. My demeanor is engaging and spir- ited during a session. I want the victim or witness to enjoy the session as much as possible, notwithstanding the need for compassion during emotionally sensitive cases (see the section entitled “Difficult Composite Sessions” in Chapter 4). This was easily achieved during the “Psycho Straphanger” case. Nonetheless, many wit- nesses will enter a composite session afraid, upset, nervous, skeptical, and maybe even angry. In most cases, within only a short time, these barriers can be overcome. Hopefully, from their perspective, this is a breeze for the artist and it is going to be for them as well. Rest assured that in the midst of what seems casual, there is a deliberate and structured implementation of composite procedure. The wonderful thing about an artist drawing it that drawing is a natural ice breaker. You can use it to your advantage.
36 2 The Composite Session
The pitfall of this session dynamic is the other possible human distraction. They are the coworkers in the outer office. The overwhelming majority of them are pro- fessionals and very aware of what is going on and would never intrude. They understand the circumstances and the need for a controlled environment. Except for the people mentioned earlier, nobody else is in the office while a session is being executed. It is hard enough to conduct a composite session with proper dynamics without intrusions. You do not need the office joker trying to get in on the act, which does happen on occasion. From his perspective, it is seems okay because the session environment is casual. On several occasions, it became quite a distraction for Artist Juan Perez, one of the other artists in the NYPD’s Artist Unit. He is very good at creating a loose and friendly session environment. He became so annoyed with these intrusions that he comically put a red light outside our office door. He would turn it on at the start of a composite session. It was just a reminder that he was working. It was very effective. It really wasn’t a serious problem, but all the same, you don’t need that annoyance. Creating this kind of loose dynamic quickly is paramount to a successful session. When you master it, the rewards are great. It has been observed over the years that the contrast between the looseness of an experienced artist’s session and the awkwardness of a beginner’s artist session is very evident. This kind of relaxed environment can only come from confidence and experience. The victim of the “Psycho Straphanger” case was now set up with photograph references. He was sitting at a large table by himself. He had been directed what to do. He was on his own for a while. I was carefully observing him, but I was not interjecting into the selection process. The amount of time the victim needs to look at photographs varies. Some look through mug shots for just a few minutes, while others can take up to an hour. It has been found over the years that you can attain a lot of information about the person’s recollection from observing her view- ing photograph references and from the images she has selected. There is nothing scientific about the following guidelines. Yet they are based on noted observations from countless sessions. The weaker the memory, the longer the witness or victim looks through the pho- tographs. A participant with a stronger memory will only need at most five or six images to describe a suspect. It can be done with as little as one photograph. When a witness has selected many photographs, say 10 or 20 from a stack, this could signify a weaker memory, with the exception when all the photographs selected look very similar. There are several reasons why a witness has looked at many photographs and has picked out none. The first is he or she is browsing the incorrect race and/or age group. Sometimes these factors are not easily determined and must be exper- imented with. Second, the memory is so weak that there isn’t any recollection at all. If this is the case, the artist should already have a suspicion of this problem prior to viewing photographs. The circumstances in which the memory was formed would be very poor. Third, the witness’s memory is very good and he or she is try- ing to get the perfect lookalike, maybe even the suspect. A solution is to restate your explanation to the participant about what is expected. The last reason for a victim or witness not to have selected any similar photographs is that he or she doesn’t want
