What is the difference between a BOLO and an APB in practice?

• A. BOLO is a generic alert; APB is a formal, department-wide broadcast with identifying details.
• B. APB is a generic alert; BOLO is a formal, department-wide broadcast with identifying details.
• C. BOLO is for weather alerts; APB is for traffic alerts.
• D. BOLO and APB are the same thing.

Answer: (A)

A BOLO is a general alert that tells officers to be on the lookout for a person, vehicle, or item when you don’t have complete details yet. It’s a broad, practical heads-up shared through dispatch or radios to give field units a chance to observe and report sightings.

An APB is a formal, department-wide (often multi-agency) broadcast that includes specific identifying details—descriptions, license plates, last known location, photos—designed to mobilize a coordinated search and actions across units.

So the difference lies in formality and scope: a BOLO is a broad, observational alert, while an APB is a formal, detailed broadcast aimed at prompting concrete, wide-wide dissemination and response. The other options mix up scope or purpose (weather/traffic instead of criminal alerts) or imply they’re the same, which doesn’t reflect how they’re actually used in practice.