It's getting easier for law enforcement to share information these days. All police, fire and sheriff vehicles will eventually have the new laptop data links.

The St. Joseph Police Department was awarded a $1.2 million dollar grant by the Department of Justice, to purchase equipment and software for an information sharing system.

It will allow the St. Joseph police and fire departments, the Buchanan County Sheriff's Department and Missouri Western police to be linked through a common data and software system. Sargent Larry Stobbs said this will help local law enforcement to be more efficient when on the beat.

Sgt. Stobbs said it will allow officers to check license plates and people, also have the ability to receive digital mug shots and state driver license photos, know locations of officers on duty, have access to maps and generate better reports.

Police plan to buy 51 laptop computers, at an estimated $2,000a piece, plus additional accessories. Sgt. Stobbs says 69 police and 23 fire vehicles already have the equipment. Once it's installed in all vehicles, Sgt. Stobbs said officers will have to go through training in order to learn how to use the equipment.