Beat bobbies will bag Blackberrys

ALL UK POLICE are set to get Blackberry smartphones as part of a drive to give them more time on the street and cut down on time wasted in the office filing paperwork.

While some 30 police forces, such as Thames Valley and Bedfordshire, have already been trialling the use of Blackberry's, the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) has said that wants 30,000 officers using one of the devices by March 2010.

The roll out is expected to cost around £80 million and should give each bobby an extra 30 minutes per shift on the street, rather than cooped up in the station.

As well as being able to deliver briefings and other updates, the devices will be linked to the Police National Computer so that suspects can be checked immediately.

In trials, the devices have been fitted with extra security and encryption software to help ensure transmissions are secure and that the data cannot be misused if the phone is lost or stolen. They can also be remotely locked and wiped if necessary. µ