all-points bulletin
noun
: a general bulletin broadcast to alert law-enforcement officers over a wide area that someone (such as a suspect) or something (such as a vehicle) is being actively sought in connection with a crime
The all-points bulletin for the suspects issued Thursday describes them as "armed and dangerous" …—
Les Ledbetter
Les Ledbetter… police investigators have pored over video footage, interviewed witnesses, combed through social media chatter and shared surveillance images of the suspects with other police agencies in an all-points bulletin.—Michael Cabanatuan and Kurtis Alexander
Michael Cabanatuan and Kurtis Alexandercalled also APB
Examples of all-points bulletin in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
An all-points bulletin was relayed to all area police departments, Windsor Locks police said.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 13 June 2024
Set off an all-points bulletin, given the seriousness of these matters.
—Ron Lieber, New York Times, 30 Dec. 2023
Through the department’s license-plate readers and other footage captured by neighbors’ cameras, officers were able to identify the man — Garrett Blaize — and issued an all-points bulletin for his vehicle, Martinez said.
—Michelle L. Quinn, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2023
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Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 13 June 2024
Set off an all-points bulletin, given the seriousness of these matters.
—Ron Lieber, New York Times, 30 Dec. 2023
Through the department’s license-plate readers and other footage captured by neighbors’ cameras, officers were able to identify the man — Garrett Blaize — and issued an all-points bulletin for his vehicle, Martinez said.
—Michelle L. Quinn, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2023
Cite this Entry
“All-points bulletin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/all-points%20bulletin. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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