Cops get fingerprinting devices

Bobbies in England seem to be having a good time – first they get tiny helmet-mounted cameras to help them on their patrols, and now both them and their Welsh counterparts are equipped with portable gadgets that are linked to a database of over 6,500,000 prints that help them identify suspects within minutes. Although fingerprints can only be taken with permission, at least this move will further enhance the long arm of the law for those who are using false identities. This Pocket PC-like device will be made available to various forces in Essex, Hertfordshire, Lancashire, North Wales, Northamptonshire, West Midlands and West Yorkshire, as well as the British Transport Police and the Metropolitan Police, over the next couple of months.