It’s always exciting when advancements in technology feel like something out of a science fiction film. The San Francisco Police Department are embracing technology in two new ways, which should help them file reports and gather information much quicker than before.

Sixty laptops have been provided by Hewlett Packard and the SFPD are trying out a new computer application that will help them write up reports while out on patrol. This will not only save them the trouble of having to go back to the station just to do paperwork, it’ll also increase the time they can spend out on patrol.

The department is also testing a new mobile app, which they demoed at a conference on Monday. This app will hopefully allow officers to dictate their reports via voice, speeding up the process even more. It could also allow them to pull up information on a vehicle by taking a picture of the license plate, as well as update relevant data to an online police file which can be accessed by other officers. An easily accessible, department-wide database is something you always see police use in futuristic movies. San Francisco Police Chief Greg Suhr even referred to the app, which is still roughly six months away, as “the Batcomputer.”

via The Verge