New York's Police Department has joined the modern era. Alongside guns and badges, new officers now pick up phones when they join the New York City Police Academy. While the obvious choice might seem like an iPhone or an Android phone, the NYPD has actually picked Microsoft's Windows Phones for its fight against crime. Windows Phone market share might have slipped below 1 percent, but CNET News reports that the NYPD has worked with Microsoft to create apps and secure the devices.

Cops are using either a Lumia 830 or Lumia 640 XL, equipped with special 911 apps, case management apps, and the ability to receive assignments, fill out forms or reports on the go, and access training videos. While these apps are all designed for the existing Windows Phone 8.1 devices, the NYPD is also testing new Windows 10 Mobile devices and plans to upgrade to the operating system next summer. 36,000 offices are now using Windows Phones, making this a rare win for Microsoft's phone efforts.

"We've spent the past year and a half building out a platform, getting the data in order, and giving out the devices," says Jessica Tisch, the department's deputy commissioner for IT in an interview with CNET. "Now that we have that platform, and it's 36,000 officers strong, we plan to continue to build on it."