Neil Shaw is a 20-year veteran of the Monterey County Sheriff’s Department. Neil was assigned to the Monterey Station of the Sheriff’s Department as a patrol deputy. Of those 20 years, 13 years were spent specializing in Forensic Facial Imaging.
Neil has been artistically inclined all of his life, to the point his parents bought him his first easel and oil paints when he was about 8 years old. He took art and drafting courses all through high school and excelled at it.

Immediately after graduating high school, he was sworn-in as a reserve police officer. Almost simultaneously, he was hired, full time, as a State Humane Officer. There he performed animal control, wildlife and marine mammal rescue on the Monterey Peninsula and he prosecuted offenders on animal cruelty charges. By the time he joined the Sheriff’s Department at age 23, he had much more experience than most applicants his age.

After transferring to Sheriff’s patrol, Neil quickly saw a need for a police sketch artist. He did some research and found that there was no police sketch artist even in the tri-county area. But he doesn’t take all the credit for the idea. While attending a homicide class, Neil sat between two San Jose Police detectives who saw him doodling (while actively listening to the instruction, of course). Both of the detectives saw some talent there and suggested that Neil pursue being a sketch artist. One thing led to another and he started doing sketches of bad guys.

His first success came shortly thereafter. A kidnap suspect was apprehended based upon a witness who had seen the sketch. The children were returned to their grateful parents and the suspect stood trial.

Neil trained on the job initially, reading anything on the subject he could get his hands on. He finally was invited to the F.B.I. academy in Quantico Virginia to attend the Forensic Facial Imaging course. He has also attended Scottsdale Artist’s School and trained under noted forensic artist, Karen Taylor.

Neil is also trained in Forensic Sculpture (trained at the F.B.I.) whereby clay is fashioned over actual skull remains to form a likeness of the victim’s face.

Since then, Neil has received numerous commendations and letters from Sheriffs and multitudes of Police Chiefs, thanking him for his services and for being instrumental in subsequent captures.

There have been many captures and some that he may not know about, since police agencies sometimes do not report back to the artist. Neil states, “People ask me how many captures I have. I have no idea. I will sometimes bump into a detective at the mall and they will happen to mention a capture I never-before heard about.”

Neil has also been required to draw anything from faces to cars to jewelry. “I have to be able to draw anything that can be described.”

Neil is also an accomplished portrait artist, specializing in pencil and oil portraits. He is also forming a collection of tropical-themed oil paintings. Neil states that forensic art and portraiture obviously go hand-in-hand. Neil has found that, when a victim/witness requires the suspect to display a certain “look” or expression, Neil knows what facial muscles control certain emotions. Often, the witness will not approve of a drawing until it has just the right “look”. Likewise, when he is doing a portrait commission, Neil’s forensic experience trains him to really listen to what the client desires and can easily carry out their wishes.
  

Neil currently offers his forensic services to law enforcement agencies as well as to private investigators.