[General] BOLO / APB

[Olympian]

Hello,

first, this may be considered more of a 'technical' question than an English question. If so, please excuse me and feel free to move/delete this post.

I heard the word/phrase 'BOLO' in a TV serial called 'The Mentalist' (Season 2, Episode 17). Someone says - 'We've got a bolo out on him.'

I found that 'BOLO' stands for 'be on the lookout', which according to Wikipedia is the same as APB (all points bulletin). Are both these terms used only in the US or also in the UK, Canada, and Australia as well?

Interestingly, on the Police and Law Enforcement Forum, there seems to be disagreement/confusion about the 'appropriateness' of using these, as well as some interesting information and other similar abbreviations.

Thanks

 

[bhaisahab]

Hello,

first, this may be considered more of a 'technical' question than an English question. If so, please excuse me and feel free to move/delete this post.

I heard the word/phrase 'BOLO' in a TV serial called 'The Mentalist' (Season 2, Episode 17). Someone says - 'We've got a bolo out on him.'

I found that 'BOLO' stands for 'be on the lookout', which according to Wikipedia is the same as APB (all points bulletin). Are both these terms used only in the US or also in the UK, Canada, and Australia as well?

Interestingly, on the Police and Law Enforcement Forum, there seems to be disagreement/confusion about the 'appropriateness' of using these, as well as some interesting information and other similar abbreviations.

Thanks

I've never heard either in the UK.

 

[SoothingDave]

APB is well known here. BOLO, not so much.

 

[BobK]

I've never heard either in the UK.

Strictly speaking, I have, but only in US TV imports.

b

 

[bhaisahab]

Strictly speaking, I have, but only in US TV imports.

b

I never watch US TV imports. I watch only BBC 1, 2 and 4.;-)

 

[Barb_D]

I've never heard either except on TV shows.

 

[konungursvia]

I've never heard the term "Bolo" either. Sounds like bollocks to me. I have heard APB though, which I think means "all points bulletin."

 

[Barb_D]

BOLO is indeed Be on the LookOut for.

"We've put out a BOLO on..."

When you say it sounds like bollocks are you referring to the actual sound or are you doubting its use? If the latter, doubt no more. If the former, well, bollocks is a word I never, ever use except in reference to a Sex Pistols album.

 

[BobK]

BOLO is indeed Be on the LookOut for.

"We've put out a BOLO on..."

...

I wonder - THIS IS JUST AN IDEA - if 'BOLO' might be an informal 'translation' of APB...?

b

 

[Ouisch]

BOLO and APB basically mean the same thing, it just depends upon the agency reporting. For example, in St. Louis it might be standard police procedure to use the BOLO code ("be on the lookout") while in Miami the standard code is APB ("all points bulletin"). Likewise some jurisdictions use ATL ("attempt to locate") to mean the same thing. Other areas eschew acronyms and still rely on 10- codes (like "10-4" and "10-7").