But the London force is also reportedly using software that masquerades as amobilephone network, allowing it to intercept communications and gather data about users in a targeted area, such as a demonstration.
Developed by Sharp and launched by Vodafone's Japanese division, it is intended mainly for mobile gaming, but other phone functions can be triggered usinga pre-set pattern of arm movements.
It protects its highly portable assets with a GPS system, which tracks the location of each car and transmits it back to head office using the mobile-phone network.