Police Simulator: Patrol Officers: Complete Guide

A patrol officer's guide to Police Simulator: Patrol Officers: shift setup, duties and callouts, how to protect your CP (shift score), progression through Brighton's districts, co-op, and which DLC is worth it.

Researched September 2026 — current as of Update 22.3.2 (4 August 2026), the final update. The developers have ended development; the game remains fully playable and on sale.

Status: On 4 August 2026 the team released Update 22.3.2 (missing voice lines, fixes and optimisations) and stated that work on the project is officially complete. A follow-up note on 21 August 2026 explained the decision. A brand-new Police Simulator game, built in Unreal Engine 5 by GRIP Studios and set in Faremont City, is scheduled for 2027. Patrol Officers itself isn't being shut down; it just won't get new content.

Quick Start

Be tough but fair. You earn CP (the game's shift performance score) for correct police work and lose them for mistakes like wrongful charges, harming civilians or ignoring procedure.
Start with ticketing and traffic. Early duties are parking violations and simple traffic offences. They teach the tools and are low-risk.
Always check before you charge. Ask for ID, check the vehicle, look for real evidence. Charging someone for something they didn't do costs CP.
Listen to the Intuition System. Clues picked up during questioning point you toward the right outcome.
Pick your mode: Casual for a relaxed patrol, Simulation for the most authentic experience.
Progress unlocks the city. Experience unlocks new districts, neighbourhoods, duties, cars and patrol modes.
Choose a neighbourhood for each shift. You patrol one area at a time; pick one that has the duties you want.
Play co-op with a friend. Online co-op lets two officers patrol together.
Drive safely. Crashing into civilians or property as police costs you.

Modes and Shift Types

Setting	Options	Notes
Difficulty style	Casual, Simulation	Simulation is stricter and more realistic
Patrol type	Standard Patrol, Open Patrol	Open Patrol unlocks through progression
Players	Single-player, online co-op	Crossplay between PC and Xbox was restored in Update 22.2.2 (January 2026)

Standard Patrol gives you structured shift objectives in a chosen neighbourhood. Open Patrol gives you more freedom to roam and respond as you see fit.

Brighton

Brighton is a fictional American city with three districts, each split into several neighbourhoods. Each has its own character, from the high-rises of Downtown to the historical buildings of Brickston. Expansions add more areas, like the highway network in the Highway Patrol Expansion.

Unlocking: you start with limited areas and duties. Complete shifts, earn experience, and new districts and duties open up.

Duties and Callouts

Duty	What to do	Watch out for
Parking violations	Find illegally parked cars and ticket them	Check signs; don't ticket legally parked cars
Traffic stops	Pull over drivers for offences (speeding, red lights)	Check ID, licence and vehicle; look for further offences
Car accidents	Secure the scene, question drivers and witnesses, determine fault	Get statements from both sides
Drug deals	Catch dealers in the act, search, arrest	Only search when there's cause
Graffiti sprayers	Catch taggers	They run; chase on foot
Emergency callouts	Respond to dispatched incidents	These pop up mid-shift; be ready
Noise and domestic disturbances	Calm the situation, question people	De-escalate first
Fleeing drivers	Intercept at a roadblock	Coordinate with the callout's markers
Car thieves	Apprehend suspects	Confirm before arrest

Expansion duties: the Contraband Expansion adds border inspection and cargo searches, and the Highway Patrol Expansion adds highway duties. The Contraband border districts are separate areas on the outskirts of the State of Franklin, not part of Brighton itself.

Tools of the Trade

Tool	Use
ID checks and database	Confirm identity, licence status and warrants
Citation book	Issue fines for violations
Speed checks	Catch speeding drivers
Breathalyzer and drug tests	Confirm impairment before charging
Handcuffs and arrests	Detain suspects when the evidence supports it
Spotlights	Usable as gadgets since the Self-Defense Update (September 2025); useful for night shifts
Firearms	Added in the free Self-Defense Update (17 September 2025) for dangerous situations
Less-lethal shotgun	Bean-bag shotgun for border officers, added with the Contraband Expansion (November 2024)

Tip: tests and checks are how you justify charges. Test first, charge second.

CP and Progression

CP tracks how well you're doing on a shift. Correct actions raise it; mistakes lower it. A CP log shows each gain and loss (it can be turned off in the settings since Update 21.4).
Common CP losses: wrongful arrests or charges, charging for goods incorrectly, crashing into things, ignoring procedure, and escalating without cause.
Experience accumulates across shifts and unlocks districts, duties, vehicles and modes.
Don't game it. The system rewards correct, procedural policing, not the most arrests.

Vehicles

The base game lets you unlock and drive three police cars: the Cruiser, Panther Z and Gladiator. DLC adds many more, including the Vanguard, Fast Pursuit, Adventurer, Multipurpose, Surveillance, Warden, Guardian, Compact and Urban Terrain vehicles, plus Unmarked and Special vehicle packs. Customisation includes liveries and uniforms (the free Ranger's Collection added National Park Service-style liveries and a uniform in December 2025).

Doing a Traffic Stop Right

Observe the offence clearly before signalling.
Pull the vehicle over in a safe place.
Approach and talk. Ask for ID and documents.
Check everything in the database: licence, registration, warrants.
Look for more. Watch for signs of impairment or contraband; use tests if there's cause.
Decide fairly: a warning, a fine, or an arrest if warranted.
Finish cleanly. Let them go or process the arrest.

Accident Scenes

Park safely and secure the area.
Check on everyone involved.
Question drivers and witnesses separately.
Use Intuition clues to work out fault.
Issue the correct citations and clear the scene.

A Sensible Shift Routine

Before the shift: pick a neighbourhood whose duties you actually want to practise, and check which duty types are active for it.
First minutes: do low-risk work (parking tickets, obvious traffic violations) to bank CP before anything complicated comes up.
Mid-shift: accept emergency callouts when they appear; they're where most of the variety and experience is, but they're also where rushed decisions lose CP.
Between jobs: drive at a sensible speed. Collisions with civilians or property eat into the CP you just earned.
End of shift: look over the CP log to see exactly which actions cost you points, and fix that habit next time.

Casual vs Simulation in practice: Casual is forgiving while you learn which checks each duty needs. Once you can run a traffic stop or accident scene without guessing, Simulation is where the procedure really matters and mistakes are punished harder.

Co-op

Two officers can patrol together online.
Split roles: one handles questioning and paperwork, the other watches the scene or runs checks.
Crossplay: PC and Xbox crossplay was reintroduced in Update 22.2.2.
Stability: if a client disappears while driving or customisation breaks after someone leaves, make sure both players are on the final update (22.2.2 fixed both issues).

DLC Guide

DLC	What it adds	Worth it?
Highway Patrol Expansion	Highway area and duties	Yes, the biggest content add
Contraband Expansion	Border inspection, cargo searches	Yes, if you like investigations
Accident Pack	More accident content	For accident-duty fans
Vehicle packs	New police vehicles	Cosmetic and variety
Uniform packs	East Coast, Western, South Atlantic uniforms	Cosmetic
Vehicle Customization Pack, Tropical Taskforce Pack	Extra customisation options	Cosmetic
Season Pass / Ultimate Duty Edition	Bundles of most DLC	Best value if buying several

Since development has ended, the DLC lineup is final.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Charging without evidence. It's the fastest way to lose CP.
Skipping ID and database checks. You'll miss warrants and extra offences.
Reckless driving. Collisions cost CP and hurt civilians.
Ignoring the Intuition System. Clues in conversation are there for a reason.
Ticketing legally parked cars. Check signs and zones.
Playing Simulation mode first. Learn in Casual.
Forgetting tests. Test for alcohol or drugs before charging impairment.

Advanced Tips

Stack duties in one stop. A speeding stop can reveal a suspended licence, a warrant or impairment.
Use Open Patrol for freedom once unlocked; it's the best way to just police the city.
Night shifts benefit from spotlights and careful driving.
Character Changer (Patch 15.0, September 2024) lets you switch your officer's character without starting over.
Turn off the CP log in settings (Update 21.4) if the pop-ups distract you once you know the rules.
Choose neighbourhoods by duty. Downtown and busier areas mean more traffic work; quieter areas suit investigations.

FAQ

Is Police Simulator: Patrol Officers dead? Development has ended (final update 22.3.2, August 2026), but the game is still sold and playable, including co-op.

Is there a sequel? Yes. A new Police Simulator by GRIP Studios, set in Faremont City with K-9 gameplay and firearms, is planned for 2027 on PC and consoles.

How many players can play co-op? Two officers together online.

Does it have crossplay? PC and Xbox crossplay was restored in January 2026 (Update 22.2.2).

What is CP? Your shift performance score. Correct, fair policing raises it; mistakes lower it.

Which DLC should I buy first? The Highway Patrol Expansion, then Contraband if you want more investigation work.