Wanted poster

A wanted poster (or wanted sign) is a poster put up to let the public know of a criminal whom authorities wish to apprehend. They will generally include either a picture of the 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 and the crime(s) with which they are charged. 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.

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

Percy Lefroy Mapleton
Pittura infamante

Translation

The phrase "Wanted poster" occurs as such in the following languages: English, Italian.

Translation(s) in other languages: Catalan: Cartell de cerca i captura, German: Steckbrief, Japanese: 指名手配, Chinese: 通緝.