The government has given
the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) £25m for 15,000
handheld computers to police officers on the beat.
The handhelds will be in operation by March 2010, and the
roll-out will take the total up to around 30,000 devices.
National Policing Improvement Agency chief information officer
Richard Earland said: "When used appropriately, handheld
computers
keep officers out in the community and make them visible to the
public.
"With mobile devices they find it easier to access information
at the point of need, leading to greater efficiency and reassurance
for the public."
The second round of investment follows a previous Home Office
grant of
£50m allocated in May 2008 to deliver mobile information.