Law enforcement agencies use the term “unknown subject” or “unsub” to refer to an unidentified suspect in a criminal investigation. Agencies may publish information about an unsub to seek help from the public in identifying and locating the suspect. This can also help create a dragnet to apprehend the suspect quickly. The public’s involvement in the investigation can also improve public relations. It is important to note any identifying features of an unsub but not to attempt to apprehend them if they are considered dangerous.
In law enforcement terminology, an “unknown subject” is an unknown subject of an investigation. This term has been popularized by a number of detective series on television, making it aware of many civilians. Not all law enforcement agencies refer to unknown persons as unsubs, with use of the term varying according to the agency involved and the region in which it is located.
Often, a law enforcement agency publishes information about an unsub in the hope that members of the general public can identify the subject, making it easier to track them down. The agency may distribute a press release that includes photographs of the subject, along with a culled physical description from people who either witnessed the crime under investigation or interacted with the subject. By publicizing the information, the agency can sometimes get advice from someone who actually knows the subject or who has seen it on their travels.
There are a number of reasons why a suspect in a criminal case remains unknown. While trail evidence can be used to identify many suspects, sometimes processing material culled from a crime scene takes a long time, and the agency may want to act quickly to apprehend the subject. In other cases, trace evidence does not provide useful information because the subject is not in criminal databases or the evidence is compromised in some way.
Law enforcement agencies usually want to act quickly when a crime occurs because the shorter the turnaround time, the more likely the criminal is to be arrested. By posting information about an unsub, the agency hopes it can create a form of dragnet, with hotel staff, gas station attendants and others aware that they should call law enforcement if they see someone looks like the unsub.
The other reason to post a request for information on an unsub is related to public relations. Members of a community often become restless or concerned if they fail to see visible action from a law enforcement agency, so by involving the public in researching the ubsub, the agency shows that it is making progress in case.
If you are shown a brochure or poster about an unsub, read it carefully and note any identifying features. You should also be aware that some ubsubs are considered dangerous; if a poster tells you that someone is believed to be armed, for example, you shouldn’t try to arrest or stop the ubsub yourself.
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