New Feature: BOLO Alerts — Be On the Lookout for Persons and Vehicles of Interest
TacDesk’s new BOLO system lets managers broadcast alerts about persons or vehicles of interest to all guards, with photos and descriptions.
By Michael Bryce · 17 January 2026 · Updated 11 March 2026 · 2 min read
Keeping Guards Informed
When a person is banned from a site, a vehicle is linked to criminal activity, or police circulate information about a suspect, your guards need to know. But how do you reliably distribute this information to every guard on every site?
Email gets buried. WhatsApp messages scroll past. Printed notices on a guardroom wall only help guards who read the wall. TacDesk’s new BOLO (Be On the Lookout) system ensures critical intelligence reaches every guard.
How BOLO Alerts Work
Managers create BOLO alerts through the management dashboard with:
- Description — detailed description of the person or vehicle
- Photos — images for visual identification
- Category — person of interest, banned individual, vehicle of interest
- Action required — what guards should do if they encounter the subject (observe and report, deny entry, call police, etc.)
- Scope — all sites, specific sites, or specific regions
- Expiry — optional date when the alert automatically deactivates
Guard Experience
Active BOLO alerts appear in the guard’s app, accessible with a single tap. Guards can browse current alerts with photos and descriptions, making it easy to identify subjects during patrols, access control duties, or routine observation.
When a new BOLO is published, guards receive a push notification drawing their attention to the alert. High-priority BOLOs can be set to display prominently when a guard first clocks in to a shift.
Use Cases
- Banned individuals — retail or venue clients who have banned specific people from their premises
- Suspect vehicles — vehicles linked to theft, fly-tipping, or antisocial behaviour
- Missing persons — forwarding police appeals to your guard network
- Stolen property — descriptions of stolen vehicles or high-value items
- Repeat offenders — known shoplifters, trespassers, or troublemakers
Intelligence-Led Security
BOLO alerts transform your guards from reactive to proactive. Instead of responding to incidents after they happen, guards can identify and intercept known threats before they escalate. This intelligence-led approach delivers better outcomes for clients and positions your company as a sophisticated security provider.
The BOLO system is available on TacDesk Professional and Enterprise plans. Try the demo to see how alerts are created and distributed.
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- → New Feature: DVLA Integration — Automatic MOT and Tax Checks for Your Fleet
- → Vehicle Fleet Management for Security Companies
- → Managing Remote Security Teams: Best Practices for 2026
- → New Feature: Shift Marketplace — Let Guards Claim Open Shifts
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Michael Bryce
Founder of TacDesk. Writes about SIA compliance, operations, and running a UK security company — from someone who actually works the shifts.
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