- All points bulletin
An All Points Bulletin (APB) is a broadcast issued from one law enforcement agency to another. It typically contains information about a wanted
suspect who is to be arrested or aperson of interest , whom law enforcement officers are to look for. They are usually dangerous or missing persons. As used by police, the term dates to at least1960 . [ [http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?l=a&p=16 Online Etymology Dictionary ] ] An all-points bulletin can also be known as a BOLO, which stands for "be on the lookout". It is sometimes called a "lookout", ATL (Attempt To Locate), or "BOL" for short.The
United Kingdom uses a similar system known as the All Ports Warning, which circulates a suspect's description to airports, ports and international railway stations to detect an offender leaving the country. However, because of the great numbers of commuters at such places, UK Police forces often prefer to contact specific airports, ports or stations and circulate descriptions individually. [ [http://www.policespecials.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=47046&st=0&gopid=927104& All Points Bulletin/All Ports Warning - PoliceSpecials.com Forum ] ]ide note
The term has been recently used in the editorial [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/02/opinion/02mon4.html In at the Birth of Death] of the
New York Times to refer to the spreading of the coordinates byPrinceton University astronomer Alicia Soderberg of the explosion of thesupernova SN 2008D . Soderberg was in a position to detect the earlyx-Ray emissions of the supernova with special instruments: recipients of her notice could turn their visible-light telescopes to the specified direction and see an unusually impressive show.Use in Media
The term All Points Bulletin is also often used in the television series NCIS, where it is most commonly referred to as a "BOLO". The term "BOLO" has also been used in the television series
The West Wing .ee also
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Wanted poster
*National Crime Information Center References
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