Template:Infobox vehicles
Police cars are emergency service vehicles used by police. The cars begin to chase the protagonist of each Grand Theft Auto game when they have received either a police head or wanted star. Police cars are known by different names in different games, whilst GTA IV has two models of police cars: The Police Cruiser and Police Patrol. Since GTA III, the majority of police cars in the game have shared the same body design as the Taxi.
Other police and law enforcement vehicles exist. These include the Enforcer police/SWAT van, the Police Maverick helicopter, HPV-1000 and VCPD Wintergreen police bikes and the Predator police boat.
2D Universe
Main article: Squad Car
In Grand Theft Auto 1, the police car is known as the "Squad Car". Three variants of the car exist, each appearing in each of game's three cities. In Liberty City, the Squad Car is rounded vehicle with blue-white livery, appearing similar to a 1990's Chevrolet Caprice; the San Andreas/Vice City variants are actually adaptations of the Portsmouth, with the San Andreas version bearing a black-and-white body color design and similar angular body design, and the Vice City rendition being colored blue and white but features a modified body that appears wider and rounded. In the PC version of GTA 1, the police cars (along with the Ambulance and the Fire Truck) will have their radio tuned to Brooklyn Underground FM, unlike all other renditions throughout the series which only have the standard police dispatch radio.
The performance of GTA 1 Squad Cars are identical in all three cities, and are all essentially the best in the game, with the highest top speed and acceleration among all cars in the game, highly responsive brakes and good grip. While the cars are given a very high export value of $2,000, but the cars cannot be exported, as are other emergency vehicles.
Main article: Copper
Police cars in GTA London 1969 and GTA London 1961 are known as "Coppers".
Main article: Cop Car
In Grand Theft Auto 2, the police car is known as the "Cop Car" and assumes a completely original design, looking like a retro-futuristic squad car with 1940s design cues. Like in GTA 1, it is the fastest car in the game, along with the Meteor, and features responsive cornering and brakes, making it a desirable vehicle to drive. It is also the only car in the game which gives a Cop Bribe when crushed. The police car in GTA 2 was originally green-and-white, along with the SWAT Van, but this combination is never seen in the game, it was changed to a blue-and-white combination.
3D Universe
In all the games of this era, the police car has been known as the "Police", with the exception of GTA Advance and GTA Vice City Stories. In GTA Advance, it is referred to as the "Police Car", and in GTA Vice City Stories, it is called the "VCPD Cruiser".
Throughout all 3D era games, police cars are very fast, with excellent handling, and moderate durability. These stats make it great for drifting. They have two sirens, one default "long-whirl", and the "rotating-weep", triggered by holding the horn button. The player will receive 5 rounds of ammunition for any weapon in the Shotgun slot after entering a Police car.
Grand Theft Auto III — GTA Liberty City Stories
Main article: Police (vehicle)
The Police Car in these two games resembles a cross between a Chevrolet Caprice and a Ford Crown Victoria.
In GTA III, the Police Car was originally intended to have a blue-and-white stripes livery similar to the 1990s/early 2000s NYPD police cars, however, in the final version, they have standard black and white livery like the Los Angeles Police Department. Also, the original Police Car had a more sleek profile compared to the final which appears more angular/boxy (though hints of the aerodynamic design do remain). The Police Cars in GTA Liberty City Stories feature the stripes livery intended for GTA III cars, albeit in black-and-white rather than blue-and-white.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City — GTA Vice City Stories
Main article: Police (vehicle)
In these two games, the design of the vehicle is a combination of the front and rear of the fourth generation Ford LTD and the midsection of the GM-Opel Senator A. Both feature a green and white livery, much like the Miami-Dade Police Department. During development, the vehicle was white with red and blue stripes along each side, resembling squad cars from the Miami Beach Police Department. Despite the differences in textures and paint, the vehicle polygon model is reused from GTA III. In the PC version of GTA Vice City, a rare all-white variant can be found parked at random locations.
Despite the fact that the Police in Vice City has AWD, it lacks the stability of other fast AWD vehicles in the game (namely the Deluxo and Comet). This is due in part to its soft suspension and poor roll resistance as well as to its poor tire traction even at moderate speeds. As such, the Police is prone to roll over or spin at a moments notice, so it may be best to avoid drastic and abrupt maneuvers while driving it.
The same car was reused in Rockstar's Manhunt games. They only appear as static objects, as driving is not an intended feature in Manhunt. The main difference is that the car has a black and white paintjob instead of a green and white paintjob.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Main article: Police (vehicle)
There are three variations in GTA San Andreas. The Los Santos Police Department and San Fierro Police Department versions have the same build, based on the Premier, with the San Fierro version having slightly higher suspension most likely due to San Fierro's hilly streets with steep inclines (like its real life counterpart, San Francisco), and markings for their respective cities. The Las Venturas Police Department version generally resembles a 1981-1990 Chevrolet Caprice, with the sides and back reminiscent of the 1980-1989 Dodge Diplomat, and the closest civilian car in the game is the Tahoma. All police vehicles feature a standard black and white livery.
The police officers in the countryside employ a large, four-by-four Ranger, based on the Rancher, for pursuit on rough terrain.
Grand Theft Auto Advance
Main article: Police (vehicle)
The GTA Advance rendition of the Police is designed to bear a likeness to the Police from GTA III, with a generally rounded profile and a black-white paintjob. Unlike other renditions, the car is substantially more speedy, with a top speed matched with the Banshee's. Being a mid-sized car, crushing the Police will only award the player with a base amount of $532.
HD Universe
For much of the games which exist within the HD universe, police cars exist in the form of generations of the Ford Crown Victoria, named Police Cruiser, paralleling the widespread popularity of the car among police forces across America. Other variants of police cars exist, an example being the Merit-based Police Patrol in GTA IV (inspired by the NYPD's use of the Chevrolet Impala 9C1 Police Package), and the Buffalo-based cruiser in TBoGT and GTA V (inspired by USA and Canada police force usage of the Dodge Charger Police Package).
GTA V emulates the declining usage of the Crown Victoria as a general purpose cruiser, as the Ford Taurus Polic Package-based Interceptor takes that role within the LSPD. Crown Victoria - based LSPD cruisers still exist, in the iconic LAPD paint scheme, but its use is to a lesser extent. However, the Crown Victoria is adopted as a cruiser in the countryside.
Grand Theft Auto IV
Main articles: Police Cruiser, Police Patrol, Police Stinger, and Police Buffalo
In Grand Theft Auto IV, there are two similar but separate police cars - the DeClasse Merit-based Police Patrol and the Vapid Stanier-based Police Cruiser. Two more police cars, a Buffalo-based Police Cruiser and a high-performance Police Stinger, are available in The Ballad of Gay Tony's multiplayer.
The player can get in any police car and access the police computer while stationary. Here, the player can access Most Wanted missions, or locate and apprehend nearby criminals. The siren on both police cars features some variations, including the classic "code-3 siren" wail, the yelp when the siren is activated and the horn button held down, and, if the siren is turned off and the horn button held down, a distorted "crowd control" air horn, as used in real life. One missing siren variation is the code-2 siren which is just lights but no siren, but this siren is possible in a rare glitch. The air horn is the most common horn sound which is available for both police cars and other emergency vehicles. Officers in real life use it to pull over people and respond to domestic calls (but when cruising, police sometimes honk the regular horn rather than the air horn). In Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas you can do it by rapidly turning it on and off until just the lights are on as if you were not in the police car with the lights on. The lights without siren only occurs when exiting the vehicle with siren on, applying only when the player does it. This code-2 siren glitch has been confirmed on GTA IV.
The player can dial 911 to summon the police car by luring them to a false alarm. Stealing the car (while the officer searches for any incidents), will attract a one-star Wanted level. In some places, a police car can be stolen from a parking lot or curbside without incurring a Wanted level.
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
Main article: Police Patrol
Police cars in GTA Chinatown Wars are simply dubbed "Police Patrols", the same name for those seen in GTA IV. While having reverted to a panda body colour scheme, the car incorporates GTA IVs police computer for use in vigilante side missions. Although the car is implied to be similar to GTA IVs Declasse-based Police Patrol, pre-rendered depictions of the Police Patrol and the Police Cruiser are used during "busted" sequences in the game.
Grand Theft Auto V
Main articles: Police Cruiser, Interceptor, Police Buffalo, Sheriff Cruiser, and Police Roadcruiser
Four types of police cars are seen in GTA V. The first one is the Police Cruiser, based on the second-generation Vapid Stanier, along with a Sheriff variant. The second is the Vapid Interceptor, which is also named Police Cruiser in-game, and is the most common type of law enforcement vehicle used by the Los Santos Police Department. The third is the Police Buffalo, which is again named Police Cruiser in game. The fourth is the Esperanto-based Police Roadcruiser, which cannot be obtained and is only seen in the Prologue.
Unlike previous games, they are numbered randomly, varying between 00-99. These vehicles has two versions of lightbars: LED and older rotatating ones. The North Yankton State Patrol Police Roadcruiser uses a second variant, an LED lightbar that flashes side-by-side only.
Sirens in GTA V are a considerable improvement over the previous games attempts at realistic siren equipment. All police cars are equipped with four siren codes: wail, yelp and phaser respectively. Air horns can be used also. The Stanier - based cruiser's use within the LSPD is to a lesser extent, although versions with LED lightbars may be dispatched due to a rare glitch.
Prominent Appearances in Missions
Grand Theft Auto III
- The Fuzz Ball - Two police car are parked in front of Old School Hall only during the mission.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
- Cop Land - Some scripted police cars appear in your path before reaching North Point Mall.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
- The Introduction - Tenpenny and Pulaski's police car appears after they were walking in Los Santos, both entering and driving it away. After, the same car appears twice yet with the C.R.A.S.H crew.
- In The Beginning - C.R.A.S.H. officers stop the Taxi where Carl is, behind Johnson House, and take him for a ride around Los Santos before throwing him at Ballas territory.
- Burning Desire - After leaving the place, you can steal Tenpenny's police car to do the mission.
- Gray Imports - Tenpenny and Pulaski go away in their car after the cutscene.
- Reuniting the Families - Fourteen police cars chase the group and have to be destroyed by shooting at with an AK-47.
- The Green Sabre - After all Ballas are killed, three police car finish the clash between them and GSF. Tenpenny later takes Carl to Angel Pine with his own police car and his C.R.A.S.H. mates.
- 555 We Tip - After CJ calls We Tip, two San Fierro police cars come to the hotel and the agents arrest the DEA man for possessing drugs.
- Driving School - The Police Car is used in two tests (Pop and Control and PIT Maneuver).
- Test Drive - Several police cars chase Carl and Cesar after stealing two cars.
- High Noon - Tenpenny's car is featured again, now during the cutscene in Las Brujas.
- End of the Line - The cops build a barricade with two police cars in the street where is the SWAT Tank during this mission.
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
- Smash and Grab - Two of them can be found at the AMCo. gas station in Harwood along with an Enforcer during the mission.
- Hot Wheels - Before Toni can leave the alley the cops block his path with two cars and start to chase him as he heads to the junkyard to crush Vincenzo's car.
- Don in 60 Seconds - The cops arrive in front of the club after the cutscene ends.
- Dead Meat - After Toni kills Casa, the police blocks the sawmill's entrance using two Police Cars.
- Contra-Banned - The police ambushes Toni and his men after Miguel sets them up.
- L.C. Confidential - Three Police cars, along with a FBI Cruiser, a Firetruck and a Securicar can be found in a crime scene on an overpass in Newport.
- The Shoreside Redemption - Toni needs a cop car to escort the van along with another police car, this one being blown by the Sicilian Mafia.
Locations
Police cars are usually parked in front of police stations and are often locked.
GTA III & GTA Liberty City Stories
- Police Station in Portland View, Portland Island
- Rusty Brown's Ring Donuts in Callahan Point, Portland Island (Liberty City Stories only)
- Police Station in Torrington, Staunton Island
- Police Station in Pike Creek, Shoreside Vale
- Within Francis International Airport, Shoreside Vale
GTA Vice City & GTA Vice City Stories
- Police station in Washington Beach
- Police station in Vice Point
- Police station in Little Havana
- Police station in Downtown
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
- Police impound lot in Pershing Square, Los Santos
- Police impound lot in Downtown San Fierro
- Police impound lot in Roca Escalante, Las Venturas
Grand Theft Auto IV
- Broker: Hove Beach,South Slopes
- Dukes: East Island City; Francis International Airport
- Bohan: Northern Gardens; Fortside
- Algonquin: East Holland; Varsity Heights; Middle Park East; Westminster; Lower Easton; Suffolk
- Alderney: Leftwood; Acter; Acter Industrial Park
- The player can dial 911 on the mobile phone, and a Police Cruiser with officers inside will promptly arrive at their location.
Grand Theft Auto V
- Like all other police cars, they can be found at every police station in Los Santos in Grand Theft Auto V.
- Can be found on the side of highways with policemen monitoring the speed of vehicles passing by.
- Seen chasing random cars throughout the state.
- The feature of dialing 911 for a police car returns in GTA V, in the form of a contact on the player's in game phone.
Trivia
3D Universe
- The introductory cutscene of GTA San Andreas features C.R.A.S.H.'s LSPD Car, however the car has the rims of the police car and Taxi in GTA Vice City.
- In GTA III, if the player looks carefully on the front grille of police car, one can see a manufacturer badge, which resembles the one which real-life car company Ford uses.
- If the player in San Andreas were to turn on the Ninja Theme cheat, the Police Car will still appear but the car is completely blacked out thus making it a unique paint scheme. The player can keep it by simply stealing the car, turning the cheat off, and saving it in their safehouse's garage.
- GTA III police cars arguably have the most realistic sirens compared to the other renditions in the 3D Universe.
- In GTA San Andreas, the police car in the parking lot of Las Venturas Police Headquarters is only location that the police car is alarmed. However, the alarm sound is not heard, only the light is flashing, and if the player drives near an officer on the street, one will attract one wanted star.
- In GTA San Andreas, the Las Veturas police car looks similar to a cut GTA III vehicle called Brigham.
- The GTA III police car is equipped with a secondary light bar resembling a McDermott High Rise lightbar. These are actually used by the NYPD's Highway Patrol division.
- The police cars in the mobile version GTA Liberty City Stories initially lacked the word POLICE on the front and rear, but they were added in a later patch.
- In GTA Vice City, all of the police cars' license plates read "VCPD 7"
- A fairly noticeable, yet commonly overlooked and unseen, glitch is present in the police cruiser in Liberty City Stories. When the player achieves a 3 Star Wanted level, the police cruiser exceeds its top speed, being able to catch up to a Cheetah with minimal effort. This is likely only a bug, but it only makes it harder to outrun them. It is more tactical to use a car that has good brakes, doesn't swerve, and hugs the road when this glitch occurs.
- In the mobile version of GTA III, The most noticeable change on the car are the sirens , which is remastered.
- In GTA: Liberty City Stories, if you execute a Unique Stunt Jump while the siren is turned on, the sound will be affected by the slow motion. When you touch the ground and return into normal gameplay the siren will still sound in slow motion. If you hold the horn button or turn off the sirens the glitch will be eliminated.
- The parked police cars in GTA San Andreas are always locked. This usually happens when a player goes outside and has wanted stars to see that they are surrounded by police.
HD Universe
- In GTA IV, the LCPD cars are very alike and similar to the New York Police Cars.
- In GTA IV and GTA V, if the siren takes a hit it will begin to make many different high-pitched noises similar to its normal siren, but severely distorted. Other cars won't pull over if you are driving a police car with a distorted siren.
- In GTA V, police cars that features rear window sirens are programmed to alternate each lights, however, if one looks closely on the red light, there's a brief moment where both red lights were turned on, which is absent on the blue light. Out of all police vehicles, only the Interceptor is an exception to this issue.
- In GTA V, there is a glitch of when the player can disable all sirens in any police car or bike. This can be done by opening the car and double tap. This was later fixed in an update.
See Also
Each police car in the series
- Squad Car - Grand Theft Auto 1.
- Copper - GTA London.
- Cop Car - Grand Theft Auto 2.
- Police - Grand Theft Auto III — Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories.
- Police Cruiser - Grand Theft Auto IV and Grand Theft Auto V.
- Police Patrol - Grand Theft Auto IV and Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars.
- Police Buffalo - The Ballad of Gay Tony and Grand Theft Auto V.
- Interceptor - Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online.
- Police Roadcruiser - NYSP variation in Grand Theft Auto V.
Other police vehicles
- Bikes
- High-performance
- SUVs
- Vans
- Others
- Police Maverick (helicopter)
- Predator (boat)