“Police learn sketch drawing techniques; 33 out of 163 sketches helped identify suspects last year, proving traditional methods remain vital for solving cases in Aichi Prefecture.”

Even though it’s analog, it’s quite effective.

(Witness role – Police officer) “The eyes are single-lidded.”
(Sketch artist – Police officer) “Single-lidded… Are they upturned? Or droopy?”
(Witness role – Police officer) “Slightly upturned.”

Based on the gathered information, the female police officer is drawing a suspect’s facial sketch.

24 officers from local police boxes participated in a training workshop organized by Aichi Prefectural Police. After learning techniques for drawing facial sketches, they practiced in pairs—one officer acting as a witness describing suspect features while the other created the sketch. The results were…

(Participating officer)
“I scored 80 points. Drawing while listening was really challenging. As police officers, we shouldn’t listen with preconceptions, so I’ll be mindful of that.”

Aichi Prefectural Police created 163 facial sketches last year, with 33 helping identify suspects. Even this analog method remains a crucial tool for solving crimes.