Cop Land

"Mike was supposed to torch some place in the mall, but he screwed the fuses and now the cops are crawling all over it."

- Lance Vance

Cop Land is a mission in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City which the protagonist Tommy Vercetti does independently in the Vercetti Estate in Starfish Island, Vice City.

Mission
Mike screwed up the wiring to blow up Tarbrush Cafe and the police are now all over the place. Lance yells at him for this and sees no way of fixing this problem. Lance wants to bail out but Tommy doesn't like this idea. He thinks about pretending to be a cop to get past the heavy police presence to detonate the bomb themselves. Over at Vice Point, Tommy and Lance lure two cops into a garage and beat them up to grab their uniforms. They suit up and head to the Tarbrush Cafe in North Point Mall. Tommy detonates the bomb and the cafe blows up. This explosion causes Tommy to be wanted by the FBI (thus causing a 5-star wanted level) but Tommy manages to evade them and heads back to his mansion with Lance.

Mission objectives
In order to complete the mission the player must:
 * Get a wanted level so the cops will follow you into the lock-up
 * Get two cops to follow you into the garage
 * Take a cop car and go and plant the bomb at the Tarbush Coffee Shop in the Mall
 * Get back to Vercetti Estate on Starfish Island

Tips

 * A quick way to get a wanted level to lure cops is to rob the store nearby the lockup. You just can point the gun to the attendant to get the two-star wanted level and run to the lockup. It's more likely two cops will follow you there quickly and without many troubles.
 * A recommended way to complete the mission is to get a durable and fast civilian vehicle, preferably a Rancher, and blow up the cafe. After escaping from the mall, drive to the nearby  Pay 'n' Spray  to eliminate the wanted level and then drive back to the mansion to complete the mission.
 * Collecting the Police Bribe outside the mall can also help as the player will only have 4 stars to contend with as they drive to the Pay 'n' Spray.
 * If driving to the north Pay'n' Spray is hard (especially for first time players as the streets behind the mall is tight and confusing), then a second method also works. The trick is to park a fast, durable vehicle down in the alley where the police bribe is (the entrance above the bribe leads to Tar Brush Café anyways). After the bomb went off, exit and immediately jump down and grab the bribe there. Enter the vehicle and drive straight and make a right onto the street that leads to the Malibu Club. Going there, near the Pizza Restaurant, another bribe lays in the trees there. Collect it. Then head down the alley ways in Ocean Beach where Leo Teal is killed as another bribe lays there. This will drop the rating down to only 2, making hitting the Pay'n' Spray behind the Ocean View Hotel much much easier.
 * Another easier way to complete the mission is, as soon you get the cop uniforms, instead of grabbing a police wehicle as instructed, grab the Sparrow parked nearby and fly to the mall, leaving the helicopter right to the entrance. As soon you blow the cafe, run towards the exit, board the heli and fly straight to Vercetti Estate to complete the mission quickly and easier.

Reward
The reward for completing this mission is $10,000. The protection missions are now completed and the Vercetti Estate generates up to $5,000 a day. The Cop Outfit is always available from the Washington Beach police headquarters from this point onwards.

Trivia

 * Lance carrying a Stubby Shotgun is a reference to Miami Vice. Lance's voice actor, Philip Michael Thomas, occasionally carries the same model shotgun.
 * No matter what clothes the player is wearing, when the mission is triggered, Tommy will be wearing the Street Outfit.
 * Despite Tommy saying that the player needs a squad car to reach the North Point Mall, the player can take a civilian car.
 * If Lance is still inside the coffee store when it explodes, he will safely respawn next to Tommy when gameplay resumes.
 * This mission is named after the movie of the same name which starred Ray Liotta, the actor who voiced Tommy Vercetti.
 * After getting the cop outfit, the player cannot gain a wanted level until the cafe is blown up.
 * After the cafe is blown up, the cops that are guarding the mall will still be on your side, killing the cops that want to get you.
 * Lance can be killed pretty easily in this mission, so if cops come you must defend him from them.
 * If you sprint away from Lance far enough, notice the game will say to come back and get him. However, it seems the police are only after you since Lance will remain safe in this state.
 * The Katana lying inside the Tar Brush café can still be obtained even after it is destroyed.
 * Lance's phone call after this mission to Tommy is a huge fore-shadowing of the events to come, especially the events in the final mission of the game, "Keep Your Friends Close..."

Walkthrough

 * Detailed mission walkthrough

Video Walkthroughs
Cop-Land