BlackBerrys for coppers: UK law enforcement to smarten up in 2010

Police men and women of Blighty are about to step into the 21st century, albeit a decade late, with a new weapon in the fight against boredom on the beat. The BBC reports that smartphones will become standard issue throughout the Queen's realm by March 2010, as a result of successful trials carried out in 30 constabularies through this year. Improved "operational efficiency" and reduced bureaucracy are argued as the key benefits, with a solid 30 minutes less time being spent in police stations each day. And we're absolutely positive that extra half hour will go toward increased "visibility in the community" and not checking out friends' Facebook status updates. No, really!

Read -- BBC report
Read -- Bedfordshire case study

[Rojo Posted Oct 16th 2009 9:20AM]

A Farker must have 'shopped-up that image...

Considering the meme, I wonder if they'll be doing something else with that extra 30 minutes... Maybe killing kittens, though not with the MP5s.

[000000 Posted Oct 16th 2009 9:24AM]

Those hats are silly. Not very swatlike. A helmet would go better with a vest and a mp5

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 16th 2009 11:24AM]

Those officers aren't in "SWAT" mode, they are just on routine patrol.