All-points bulletin

Police broadcast
the broadcast

An all points bulletin (APB) is an electronic information broadcast sent from one sender to a group of recipients, to rapidly communicate an important message. The technology used to send this broadcast has varied throughout time, and includes teletype, radio, computerized bulletin board systems (CBBS), and the Internet. It is described that "each message placed on [an APB] is intended for a wide audience," and they were some of the first technologies which could do so in an efficient and effective manner. However, in regard to the technical functionality of the computerized bulletin systems, there is a lack of significant research on the technical construction and development of these terminals and computers. Thus, modern knowledge of the technicalities of these older all points bulletin systems is restricted.

The modern technological evolution of the all points bulletin is mainly only used in the world of policing. In the "event the radio is not a viable means for transmitting data (i. e., radio traffic is busy)", the police officer will use the digital all points bulletin. The officer enters the same exact information into the mobile computer terminal. By doing this, they are able to make the message equivalent to a radio message, with the same codes. This allows the same automated information to be gathered by other police officers who are receiving the bulletin.

In 1970, Farmville Police department in North Carolina, United States, reported about their implementation of the all points bulletin (APB) system beginning in 1968. "Five months after a firefight at Oglala, an all points bulletin was issued by the Portland FBI for a motorhome and a station wagon carrying federal fugitives". The bulletin cautioned, "Do not stop, but advise FBI." Soon after the bulletin was released, the vehicles were located, and the fugitives were arrested. The department issued an all points bulletin with a thorough description of the skeleton, using x ray data and autopsy, which received numerous responses from various missing persons bureaus. From this, Police Department records showed that a person of similar description was reported to have disappeared on 19 March 1966. After several follow ups with hospitals using x rays and medical records, the remains were confirmed to be that person and the case was closed. After an all points bulletin was later issued for the men on 23 August 2001 for the police to track the men, it was insufficient time for the police to track the men. Queensland used to use BOLF (be on the lookout for), and now, with Western Australia Police, use BOLO ('bol lo'). The United Kingdom uses a similar system known as the all ports warning or APW, which circulates a suspect's description to airports, ports and international railway stations to detect an offender or suspect leaving the country. Due to the high numbers of commuters at such places, British police forces often use the all points warning to contact specific airports, ports or stations and circulate descriptions individually using all points bulletins.

The phrase an "all points bulletin" was used to describe the report of the sudden disappearance of cheatgrass near Winnemucca in 2003. That spring, a rangeland manager in the Winnemucca office of the Bureau of Land Management noticed that large areas usually covered by cheatgrass were bare.

In search of a gene linked to a poorly known bone disease known as Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP), scientist Frederick Kaplan issued an internet based all points bulletin to doctors worldwide asking for any families with FOP to go to him for study. He did this via online articles and electronic mail. In response to the bulletin, Kaplan and his team were able to obtain 50 willing patients to run their experimentation with. Eventually, he and his team were in fact able to identify the gene responsible, known as the ACVR1 mutation. Far beyond using DNA "fingerprints" to link an individual to a crime scene, it would enhance police ability to develop sketches of unknown persons by reading traits inscribed in their DNA.