The Police are a law enforcement agency to fight delinquency such as reckless driving and property theft. They are often involved with racers in pursuits. Police will often communicate between active units by using police radio codes to organise instances of advanced driving strategies.
They have been a primary feature in the Need for Speed series since the release of The Need for Speed. Their first major role was in Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit as it was the first Need for Speed title to feature playable police vehicles in the title's PC release whilst the PlayStation 1 release of Need for Speed: High Stakes was the first console based installment to feature a cop mode.
The police also returned in Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed but only as an obstacle for racers. Police also appeared in Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 alongside a "be the cop" mode that allowed players to be take part in a police career.
The Police were removed from the Underground series titles and with their return to the series being a main aspect of Need for Speed: Most Wanted as well as every other title releases afterwards except for Need for Speed: ProStreet and the Shift series.
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (2010) allows the player to start a police career which wasn't a part of a Need for Speed title since Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2.
Bounty has become a major element in the gameplay of the Need for Speed series.
Police Departments[]
- Bayview Police Department (mentioned in Need for Speed: Most Wanted)
- Rockport Police Department
- Palmont Police Department (Need for Speed: Carbon)
- Palmont Police Department (Need for Speed: World)
- Tri-City Bay Police Department
- Seacrest County Police Department
- Fairhaven City Police Department
- Redview County Police Department
- Blackridge Police Department
- Ventura Bay Police Department
- Fortune Valley Police Department
- Palm City Police Department
- Lakeshore Police Department
Game Modes[]
- All-Points - Need for Speed: Undercover (NDS)
- Chase Down - Need for Speed: Undercover (PS2)
- Criminal Scramble - Need for Speed: Undercover (NDS)
- Getaway - Need for Speed: High Stakes (PC)
- Cops and Robbers - Need for Speed: Undercover
- Gauntlet - Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (2010)
- Hot Pursuit - Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit, High Stakes, Hot Pursuit 2, Hot Pursuit (2010) and Rivals
- Interceptor - Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (2010) and Rivals
- Most Wanted - Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (2010)
- Power Struggle - Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (2010) (iOS/Android)
- Preview - Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (2010)
- Pursuit - Need for Speed: Most Wanted, Carbon, Undercover, World, Most Wanted (2012)
- Pursuit Knockout - Need for Speed: Carbon
- Pursuit Tag - Need for Speed: Carbon
- Rapid Response - Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (2010) and Rivals
- Team Escape - Need for Speed: World
- Time Trap - Need for Speed: High Stakes
- Tough Justice - Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (2010) (iOS/Android)
- Tuner Takedown - Need for Speed: Most Wanted 5-1-0 (PSP)
Vehicles[]
The police in the Need for Speed series use various vehicles with mostly black and white colour schemes. The most common vehicles are full-size sedans such as the Ford Crown Victoria and sports cars. Some titles feature police helicopters to track the player, as well as heavy SUVs for roadblocks.
Trivia[]
- High Stakes and Porsche Unleashed are the only titles in the series to feature police vehicles from locations other than North America such as several countries from Europe.
- Need for Speed: World allows players to purchase special edition vehicles with police designs.