Numerous law enforcement agencies throughout the Nation have turned to mobile computing with overwhelming success. Laptops outfitted with wireless communications packages allow officers to access and query information from law enforcement agency databases and, in many cases, from a variety of local, State, and Federal databases. Laptop computing gives officers the ability to conduct important research without the assistance of a dispatcher as well as to process information. The first and most important part of planning for a mobile computing system is developing a strategic plan. This involves an assessment of the future needs of the department and the development of a plan for meeting those needs. An agency that is implementing mobile computing must also consider such operational issues as hiring onsite technical staff to support the laptop project or developing user training programs. Further, it is crucial that the agency realize that technology is constantly evolving and that upgrading and replacing technology is an important planning element. The concluding section of this paper focuses on the hardware and software requirements for police mobile computing.