Police Chief: Managing a Second Patrol Car and Prisoner Transport

Adding a second patrol car in Police Chief expands precinct coverage, doubles your dispatch capability, and enables prisoner transport. To keep your department operating smoothly with two vehicles, assign one car to cover routine calls or high-traffic zones while using the other for emergency dispatches and manually scheduled suspect transports.

Managing Patrol Coverage with Two Vehicles

A single vehicle operation quickly leads to response backlogs as crime calls increase. Introducing a second patrol car allows you to divide labor across your jurisdiction so high-priority emergencies do not go unanswered.

To maximize coverage across two units:

Stationary Patrols: Keep your primary vehicle in high-traffic zones to maintain steady revenue through traffic stops and citation fines.
Mobile Response: Station your secondary unit near high-crime areas or keep it mobile so it can immediately respond to emergency dispatches.
Sector Separation: Avoid assigning both patrol cars to the same zone to ensure your city remains monitored if one unit becomes tied up with an active call.

Mechanics of Prisoner Transport

Transporting suspects to the station booking area is a multi-step procedure that takes a vehicle offline for the duration of the trip. Once an officer places a suspect in custody, you must manually select the patrol car and assign it to the transport task. The vehicle then travels back to the precinct to deliver the detainee to your holding facility.

Because a unit conducting transport cannot respond to incoming emergency calls, plan your transport logistics around these factors:

Transport Factor	Operational Impact	Recommended Action
Vehicle Status	Unit is offline for all dispatches.	Schedule transports during lulls in emergency call volume.
Jurisdiction Coverage	Leaves a sector temporarily unmonitored.	Reassign your second car to cover the vacant area.
Booking Arrival	Unit must hand off suspect at station.	Clear booking desk paperwork before the vehicle arrives.

Station Booking and Fleet Maintenance

Expanding your fleet increases demand on your precinct's internal workflow and budget. Detainees delivered to the precinct require immediate processing at the booking desk. If the desk is clogged with unprocessed evidence or paperwork, returning officers must wait idle at the station rather than returning to active duty. Assign dedicated station staff to manage booking procedures to prevent this bottleneck.

Operating two vehicles also introduces ongoing maintenance costs:

Routine Maintenance: Monitor vehicle condition meters and schedule repairs during night shifts or periods of low crime activity to prevent breakdowns.
Budgeting: Use income generated from traffic citations to fund vehicle upkeep.
Financial Underperformance: If vehicle upkeep exceeds incoming revenue, reassign underperforming cars to higher-income patrol routes or temporarily decommission a unit until precinct funds stabilize.