A wanted poster (or wanted sign) is a poster put up to let the public know of an alleged criminal whom authorities wish to apprehend. They will generally include either a picture of the alleged criminal when a photograph is available, or of a facial composite image produced by a police artist. The poster will usually include a description of the wanted person(s) and the crime(s) for which they are sought. Wanted posters are usually produced by a police or other public government body for display in a public place, such as on a physical bulletin board or in the lobby of a post office, but in ages past wanted posters have also been produced by vigilante groups, railway security, private agencies such as Pinkerton, or by express companies that have sustained a robbery.
Wanted posters for particularly notorious fugitives frequently offer a bounty or reward for the capture of the person, or for a person who can provide information leading to such capture. More modern wanted posters may also include images of the fugitive's fingerprints.
Composite images for use in wanted posters can be created with various methods, including:
- E-FIT: Electronic Facial Identification Technique via computer
- PhotoFIT: Photographic Facial Identification Technique
- Identikit
See also
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