The workshop focused on the portable computing experiences of five police departments, as well as ongoing evaluation studies. The major benefits of portable technology to police operations relate to timely and accurate data, accurate locations and measurements, potential cost reduction, field-based crime analysis, integration with existing equipment, system consistency, interjurisdictional information sharing, field access to complete data, forms management, training, easy access to reference materials, coding and translation ability, access to the National Incident-Based Reporting Uniform Crime Reporting program, accurate reporting of traffic accidents, internal communications, multitask abilities, field access to intelligence data, and officer safety. A number of obstacles to implementation of portable computers in the field were identified: funding, standards, changing technology, lack of coordination or involvement in the private sector computer market, interagency cooperation, lack of expertise to make informed decisions, system design and compatibility, education and training, need for a strategic plan, and ergonomics and safety. Workshop participants developed some recommendations for Federal, State, and local agency involvement in this issue.