According to the NY Times, NYPD officers are armed with guns and Android smartphones in combatting crime and promoting public safety. Over 400 phones have been distributed to help them access pertinent police data using these phones while they are on duty.

However, these phones will not be used for calling but will be used to take advantage of data connections instead. Police officers can now look up a potential suspect's information and access vehicle registrations using a smartphone application. The police app might even eventually replace police car computers because it is quicker to retrieve data using the application.

Naturally, these phones will need data plans, which will be taken out of the City's funds so that officers can now take advantage of real-time info and data to identify criminals, apprehend them and bring them to justice-all thanks to an Android police application.

Source: NYTimes