Liberty City Police Department (HD Universe)


 * For the LCPD in the GTA III era, see LCPD in GTA III Era. For information about how the LCPD pursue the player, see Wanted Level in GTA IV and Wanted Level in GTA Chinatown Wars. 

 The Liberty City Police Department (LCPD) is the police department for Liberty City in Grand Theft Auto IV and Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, which share the same rendition of Liberty City. The LCPD is based on the New York City Police Department (NYPD).

Overview
The Liberty City Police Department is around 40,000 officers strong, with many different roles, most notably on beat patrol all throughout Liberty City. They reign in a "complete operational" status over Liberty City, meaning they are the single Law Enforcement organization in the whole city, besides for the FIB and NOOSE. The department is then organized into different divisions. They include Highway Patrol Units (while usually freeway/bridge duties are transferred to a State Police agency), tactical response units from NOOSE tactical units, aviation units, plain clothes officers from the Anti-Crime department and the harbour units. The Aviation Unit of the LCPD (formed in 2001) has a fleet of several helicopters (consisting of Maverick type copters) which are on constant patrol. Aviation assistance can be summoned from one of the four stations with aviation facilities. The Police Mavericks can be seen often in the skies of Liberty City, most often patrolling with NOOSE Annihilators above major bridges such as the Hickey Bridge and East Borough Bridge. The LCPD is otherwise underfunded, unable to afford specialized pursuit vehicles and as a result have to use their regular patrol cars to chase suspects. They very often injure, kill, or arrest the very citizens they are assigned to "protect and serve". For instance, if a civilian is seen pushing the player, the civilian is arrested or flees. Many police cars accidentally or on purpose hit and kill civilians while chasing the player.

The LCPD is known for its very aggressive techniques in pursuing crime, most notably, saturating an affected area of high crime rate with dozens of officers and patrol cars. They take the famous NYPD rationale of having a large police presence ensuring prevention and quick response. In times of emergency they respond appropriately, and pour all available resources into stopping or containing an incident. The LCPD (along with NOOSE and the FIB) become extremely aggressive when the player is wanted, and continue to shoot at the player even after the protagonist has died and "grayed out". While chasing criminals, the player or occasionally whilst driving, police vehicles hit civilians with their cars.

LCPD officers are sometimes seen writing tickets (as noticed around Middle Park and in Highway Patrol duties on the various bridges where they await speeders). Officers on foot patrol are sometimes seen chasing and apprehending criminals, which after they are caught, a radio car is contacted to take the criminal away for processing. The LCPD is also on an active recruiting campaign, with "Join The LCPD" posters and billboards at select locations throughout the city, and adorning the front of the LCPD Star Junction Sub-Station, (which is in front of a Liberty City Services Booth). They also appear in the streets if the player dials 911 to summon a police car with two officers inside. One officer will check around for any incidents. If a criminal attacks an officer, two officers wield pistols and pursue the criminal and catch the protagonist at gunpoint. If there aren't any criminals around, they will get back inside the vehicle and leave. Unlike civilians, who report crimes via the telephone, a lengthy process, police sightings are reported immediately. Further crime, attacking a police officer, and evading arrest will increase the player's wanted level. At two stars, police cars are sent to the area. At three stars, NOOSE vehicles are deployed, as well as police maverick-type helicopters. At four stars, NOOSE Annihilators and FIB Buffalos, complete with four FIB Special Agents in body armor and equipped with automatic weapons, are deployed. LCPD Officers are authorized to commandeer civilian vehicles to continue chasing a suspect or respond to an emergency, often stating it as "Official Police Business" to the driver as they pull them out of the car.

Senior management
Police Commissioner
 * Mitt Fitzsimmons

Deputy Police Commissioner
 * Francis McReary

Rank structure

 * Chief of Department
 * Bureau Chief
 * Assistant Chief
 * Deputy Chief
 * Inspector
 * Deputy Inspector
 * Captain
 * Lieutenant
 * Sergeant
 * Police Officer, Detective

Vehicles
In GTA IV, LCPD officers on the streets commonly drive two variants of police cars: The Police Patrol and the Police Cruiser, which serve as their primary pursuit vehicle of choice when the player attains a 1-star or 2-star wanted level, and will continue to appear in conjunction with NOOSE and FIB forces in a 3-star wanted level or higher. In GTA Chinatown Wars, the LCPD is only equipped with the Police Patrol (although game art of both the Police Patrol and Police Cruiser are still used when the player is Busted), and only appears up to a 4-star wanted level (alongside NOOSE Enforcers), as the FIB takes over at 5 stars.

The LCPD also extends their authority in the air in GTA IV with the use of Police Mavericks, which commonly patrol the sky even when the player does not have a wanted level. Police Maverick will occasionally join a 1 or 2 star wanted level when they happen to be within close proximity of the player, but the helicopter is certain to appear only when the player has a 3-star wanted level; the NOOSE's Annihilator takes over from 4 stars onwards. At sea, the LCPD is equipped with Predator boats, which only appear when the player is wanted at any level. The boats carry two more officers armed with rifles at the back, opening fire at the player.

The Ballad of Gay Tony also includes two more LCPD vehicles, the Police Buffalo (named "Police Cruiser" in game) and the Police Bike, a new police motorcycle. Both vehicles are not used by LCPD officers, and are only available in The Ballad of Gay Tony multiplayer. A third police vehicle, the Police Stinger, does not bear the LCPD's signature blue-and-white livery, but does spawn within a police compound in multiplayer, lending to the idea it may also be an LCPD vehicle.

Weapons and other portable equipment
Police officers carry a range of equipment, although, in GTA IV, the nightstick, or baton, has been removed due to its use being rather unrealistic and police do not beat a suspect just for minor offenses, it is used as a weapon of defense; the baton is reinstated in the GTA Chinatown Wars rendition of the LCPD. The standard issue police firearm is a Glock 22 pistol. This is used when making arrests, pursuing suspects and self defense. If an officer is disarmed, they will resort to using their fists to defend themselves. If an officer is patrolling in a vehicle, and the suspect has a two star wanted level or more, the officer carries a pump shotgun. Officers patrolling at places of high security such as The Statue of Happiness, Civilization Committee Headquarters and subway stations carry M4A1 carbine assault rifles, which are a good deterrent of terrorist activity and crime.

The police also carry personal radios in order to report crimes and call for assistance - they can sometimes be seen talking into them while patrolling, as can Security Guards.

Uniforms
The uniforms of the LCPD resemble that of the famous New York Police Department (NYPD). Depending on the in-game weather, the officers may be wearing different uniforms, such as a raincoat marked "LCPD" and a white hat cover. Officers uniforms are generally navy blue with black buttons. Officers can wear either a long sleeve, short sleeve, or short sleeve with a long sleeve black under shirt. Officers also have the choice of wearing hats, ties and either leather or normal police jackets. The officer's tie clips have "LCPD" engraved in the middle. Officers who wear sky blue shirts, as opposed to navy blue shirts, are traffic enforcement officers, as seen by the different badge on the officers with sky blue shirts. Despite the fact the game classifies them as traffic enforcement officers, they do not perform the duties of traffic enforcement officers, such as issuing citations. Traffic enforcement officers, unlike their real counterparts, are armed.

Alderney Police wear different uniforms than Liberty City police, despite being from the same department. Alderney police uniforms bear resemblance to those of the New Jersey State Police (NJSP). However, they drive the exact same cars, use the same weaponry, and have stations saying they're the Liberty City Police Department.

Website
The in-game Internet features an official LCPD website which can be found at www.libertycitypolice.com. The website features a secret link at the bottom of the page to the criminal database, which contains profiles for all characters in the game.

Logo
When looking closely at the police logo it can clearly be noticed that the LCPD are known for police brutality. In the middle of the logo, two officers are shown with batons dragging a man on the floor. Below this the scales of justice are weighing a coffee cup and a doughnut. Alderney Police bear a State Police logo on their shoulder pads, the same as NJSP, although the stations bear the LCPD logos, as do their vehicles.

Trivia

 * In Grand Theft Auto IV, the LCPD patrol in Alderney. However, Alderney is a separate state from Liberty City. The only difference between the Liberty City police and Alderney police is the uniform and sometimes, the accent of the officers.
 * At higher wanted levels (five and six stars), the LCPD seem to begin disappearing as more FIB and NOOSE officers begin to show up. This may indicate that the LCPD are too afraid of death to take on the player, or simply are handing over the chase to the better prepared and more capable law enforcement agencies.
 * When the player has a three star wanted level, the officer talking through the tannoy of the police helicopter often shouts "This is the LPCD!", when in fact it should be LCPD. This could indicate that the helicopter pilots care less about shouting LCPD to the player than normal officers.
 * At the LCPD station in East Holland, If the player enters the parking lot in the back and ascends the stairs up to the helipad, he/she can find one to three officers surrounding a body.
 * GTA IV is unique for letting the player be able to shoot the gun off an enemy without killing the enemy. When an officer's pistol is shot off, the officer will flee. When any other weapons an officer is wielding is shot off, he will pull out a pistol. This also applies to the FIB and NOOSE.
 * In The Ballad of Gay Tony, police officers are more aggressive, doing drive-bys at 4 stars instead of 5 stars and wielding more powerful weaponry such as Assault SMGs and Automatic Shotguns. Officers also wield Advanced MGs from helicopters.
 * A Liberty City Police Department twitter page has been made by a fan. It includes fictitious crimes from throughout the city sort of like a police scanner.
 * The standard weapon of the LCPD is the pistol.
 * Though there are only male officers present in GTA IV, originally there were female officers as well, as seen in the first trailer.
 * When at a 2 star Wanted Level, less fat Police Officers (not Alderney based) will chase the player with either Pistols or their standard Shotgun. This is probably to make on-foot chases tougher.
 * If you are in water with at least a 3 star wanted level 2 officers will fire of the back of a police boat.