NEW YORK (Reuters) - The New York Police Department is handing out iPods to academy recruits for the first time to allow them to listen to and watch coursework on the subway.

The iPods are "fully loaded" with subject matter including criminal procedure, New York State Penal Law, warrants, ethics and community policing, the department said on Monday.

Outfitting recruits with gadgets instead of books comes in handy because many students take public transportation to class.

"Now a recruit can watch a class on 'search and seizure' while going home on the subway," Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said in a statement.

The current academy class includes 947 recruits and is scheduled for graduation on December 27.

(Reporting by Robert MacMillan; Editing by Daniel Trotta)
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