BlackBerry smartphones now a standard issue with the UK police

Police officers are provided with a lot of items with their standard issued uniforms. Of course you'll find most officers sporting a badge and some kind of pistol so they stand out from a far distance. Over in the UK though, they're adding an unorthodox piece of equipment to their lineup to aid officers – BlackBerry smartphones. You heard that right – over 1,100 frontline police officers in Bedfordshire, UK will be issued some kind of BlackBerry to increase visibility in the community and improve operational efficiency. These aren't meant to be used during downtime to beat high scores in BrickBreaker, instead they will also provide access to the Police National Computer – their forces crime management system, and intelligence database. Saving time and being more efficient will be the big push behind the use of these BlackBerry devices – which adds tremendous cuts in public spending.

via BlackBerry Cool