Wanted poster

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A wanted poster 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 himself 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 wantee and the crime(s) with which he is 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, Pinkerton's, or by express companies that have sustained a robbery.

Wanted posters for particularly notorious fugitives frequently offer a reward or bounty 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