Work by the SFPD forensic artist on display at the National Law Enforcement Museum

SAN FRANCISCO – Longtime San Francisco cop Joe Lynch calls himself the “Swiss Army Knife of CSI” because he did it all.

“Pretty much every type of crime there is,” Lynch, a forensic artist, told KTVU. “He has worked as a patrol officer for years since 1997, but is known for his keen eye for identifying suspects from witness descriptions.”

“The sketches here,” Lynch said as he flipped through a book of his suspicious sketches, “it was a stabbing at AT&T Park and after a ball game, and I think it was one of Barry Bonds’ historic home runs.”

After attracting suspects for many high-profile crimes over the years that he cannot speak about, Lynch would retire from the SFPD in 2022, but his desire to use his talents to make a difference would lead him to retire will return to work part-time this June.

His portfolio includes creating images of people who have been missing for years, and his creativity has led to countless arrests and helped crime victims find closure, which never gets old.

“Oh, it makes you feel like you’re walking on clouds,” Lynch said.

When he’s not fighting crime, he creates artwork for professional sports teams, including the San Jose Sharks and an award-winning artwork featuring San Francisco Giants legend Willie Mays.

But it is his acrylic artwork of a 1953 SFPD Harley-Davidson motorcycle in front of a coffee shop, one of just fifty works of art created by officers from across the country selected for display at the National Law Enforcement Museum in the nation’s capital .

“It’s a big deal,” Lynch said. “Because this museum is where the police officer memorial is and where every police officer killed in the line of duty has their name written on a wall.”

And that is what he wants to make clear to those who see his creation.

“We as police officers are only human,” Lynch said. “Without art in my life, I would not have been able to get through some of the more difficult times in my career. It’s always helped me relieve stress.”

The motorcycle art will be on display in Washington, DC from Saturday, September 28th through August 2025.

The actual motorcycle is on display at the SFPD crime lab.