iPhone app helps Tasmanian cops nab crooks

Tasmanian cops are using some pretty sophisticated technology to catch criminals down there -- they have hardware in their cars now that will not only catch pictures of criminals, but upload them to a database, track down any outstanding warrants or other red flags, and update GPS information and location data of where the checks are made. Oh, and there's apparently an app for that. When the cops realized that they could do all of those same functions with department-issued iPhones, they built an app that replicates the functionality seen in the cop cars. So even while the police are walking a beat, they can pull out an iPhone and check up on any drivers they happen to see.

Very interesting. Unfortunately, there's not much information available about how long it took them to build the app, or just who put it all together -- the article from Australia's The Mercury seems mostly intended as a warning to criminals everywhere that even though a cop may not recognize you, an iPhone will. But this is just another reminder that we're all walking around with a little handheld device that has the ability to replace most of the technology we were using just a few years ago. When we hear about a cop making an arrest while on a phone call, we'll let you know.

[via Obama Pacman]
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