Arlington Heights police put confiscated iPads to work

Arlington Heights' police arrest last year of two Florida residents suspected of possessing more than 100 fraudulent credit cards netted the department more than just a big case.

It also landed them 20 iPads. The tablet computers confiscated after the arrests are now being put to work by police on everything from investigations to evidence collection to communication within the department.

“They'll be real helpful to investigators and their supervisors,” police Capt. Kenneth Galinski Jr. said.

For example, an officer on surveillance can use the camera to photograph and property and send it to another officer needing a description for a search warrant request.

They will also be useful for photographing crime scenes and license plates, Galinski said.

The Secret Service Asset Forfeiture Group awarded Arlington Heights the iPads because it was not possible after last year's arrests to determine from where they were taken, said Galinski.

The two suspects, arrested in December, are facing federal charges alleging they used fraudulent credit cards and identification to buy electronic items they later shipped to Florida for resale.

When Arlington Heights police realized how far the case stretched, they sought assistance from the Secret Service and the U.S. Attorneys Office. The Secret Service had been investigating parts of the group involved in the schemes and is still working on related cases, Galinski said.