Skip to main content

Forget guns, iPhones may be best crime-fighting tools

By WTOP Staff

WASHINGTON — Remember when the image of law enforcement was a cop sitting at a desk using two fingers to type out a report?

Well, it seems things have changed.

The next time you see the FBI in action, agents may be armed with cell phones.

Soon, agents may have smartphones with a new app called Mobile One, which plugs into their phones and allows them to scan fingerprints in the field and plug them into the national criminal database.

The additional technology, which FBI agents are set to get in 2012, means officers will be able to get fingerprint results far faster than they have in the past, when suspects had to be brought back to the bureau.

The attachment costs $600 and fits on the bottom of any iPhone.

WTOP’s Del Walters contributed to this report. Follow WTOP on Twitter.

(Copyright 2011 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)

Emergency guide: What you should do to prepare for emergencies

By WTOP Staff
WASHINGTON — Do you know what you'd do if an emergency hits? What if you're at work, your spouse is stuck in traffic and your children are in school? There's no way to plan for every emergency, but you can make sure you're prepared for different scenarios, including making a plan for your family and building a kit of emergency supplies.
Read Next Story

Related News

Cards, gifts cross religious lines

Mind your mouth: How oral health affects overall health

5 questions to ask before buying a winter home