Police Officials Angered by GTA Mods Featuring Realistic Cop Cars

April 8, 2009

A Grand Theft Auto modder's authentic depictions of real police vehicles have angered law enforcement officials in the Washington, D.C. area.

NBC reports that GTA videos of police vehicles from Prince William County, Montgomery County, and Fairfax County are available on YouTube:

Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery. But don't tell that to some local police jurisdictions that are upset over YouTube videos depicting their cruisers in a video game...

One video even shows a digital officer getting out of a Fairfax County Police cruiser to gun down citizens on the street.

The Fairfax County Police Department finds the videos in very poor taste," said spokesperson Don Gotthardt. "One of the reasons we find it in poor taste is because of the way the officers are depicted."

THANKS TO: GamePolitics reader mdo7 for the tip!

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Comments

Re: Police Officials Angered by GTA Mods Featuring ...

Submitted by squigs on Thu, 04/09/2009 - 02:11.

I can't help thinking it redundant to suggest aspects of GTA may be in poor taste.

It's a game about being a violent criminal, where you can pick up hookers to gain health!

I don't mean this as a criticism - it's all pretty harmless - but the game has never even tried to be tasteful.

Re: Police Officials Angered by GTA Mods Featuring Realistic

Submitted by PumaFau on Wed, 04/08/2009 - 22:10.

I cant belive the video got taken down proof the more you complain and bitch and whine things go your way.

Never underestimate the power of idiots in large amounts.

Re: Police Officials Angered by GTA Mods Featuring ...

Submitted by shady8x on Wed, 04/08/2009 - 20:15.

I know someone who's son was shot a dozen times by several police officers because they thought he was holding a weapon to his ear... so while he was in a phone booth with his back to them and holding a freaking phone(I guess it oculd be used as a weapon?) they murderd him in cold blood and kept their jobs...

I find it in poor taste whenever cops are depicted like some sort of hero's most of them aren't...

In the game officers respond to crimes and fight the mass murdering character that you are playing as... I can see why the real cops would be offended...

Re: Police Officials Angered by GTA Mods Featuring ...

Submitted by deuxhero on Wed, 04/08/2009 - 18:17.

Now find me a mod with a Carbon Motor E7, THAT would be neat.

Re: Police Officials Angered by GTA Mods Featuring Realistic

Submitted by Weatherlight on Wed, 04/08/2009 - 11:30.

I think they have more of an issue with the fact that the player starts shooting people with the rifle in the video. Not so much the depiction of the cars, or the Officer, but that he starts shooting people as they run away, as the player looks like an officer and car looks just like an officers car.

I would be kind of worried if this mod was done by an officer.

~Weatherlight~

Re: Police Officials Angered by GTA Mods Featuring Realistic

Submitted by mbellerbrock on Wed, 04/08/2009 - 14:19.

Who cares if he's shooting civilians... it's GTA, that's what you do, shoot guns. I used to get bored and just go around trying to rack up as many stars as possible for hours in GTAIV. Doesn't make me a killer.

Re: Police Officials Angered by GTA Mods Featuring ...

Submitted by mdo7 on Wed, 04/08/2009 - 11:24.

Thanks for putting this up Dennis.

I saw this last night and I thought, let the gaming world knows about it (maybe other people knew). But I decided to shed light on this. I was kinda pissed the cops make a big deal out of this. OK, I was also pissed that whoever did the realistic cop mod is trying to make people mad on it also.

Re: Police Officials Angered by GTA Mods Featuring ...

Submitted by mdo7 on Wed, 04/08/2009 - 11:30.

Also Jack Thompson claiming this is Rockstar and Take-Two's way of training kids to become Cop Killer by putting realistic cop car in 3....2....1

Re: Police Officials Angered by GTA Mods Featuring ...

Submitted by Dejiko on Wed, 04/08/2009 - 11:17.

Has a supreme court justice whined about video games yet? I'll wait for that to throw a fit.

Re: Police Officials Angered by GTA Mods Featuring ...

Submitted by Chaltab on Wed, 04/08/2009 - 11:11.

Let's whine some more about trivial non-problems. I've not heard enough of it this week, officer.

If you go crazy then I will still call you Superman.

Re: Police Officials Angered by GTA Mods Featuring Realistic

Submitted by ZippyDSMlee on Wed, 04/08/2009 - 09:49.

ZOMG!!! cops and robbers game that has...SHOCK cop cars in it!!!!

Gore,Violence,Sexauilty,Fear,Emotion these are but modes of transportation of story and thought, to take them from society you create a society of children and nannys, since adults are not required.

http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com

---

http://zippydsm.deviantart.com/

Re: Police Officials Angered by GTA Mods Featuring Realistic

Submitted by HarmlessBunny on Wed, 04/08/2009 - 10:03.

You win many internets sir.

==============

James Fletcher, member of ECA Canada

Re: Police Officials Angered by GTA Mods Featuring Realistic

Submitted by ZippyDSMlee on Wed, 04/08/2009 - 12:11.

Wow!!! I haz?!!?!? I normally destory them >>

Gore,Violence,Sexauilty,Fear,Emotion these are but modes of transportation of story and thought, to take them from society you create a society of children and nannys, since adults are not required.

http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com

---

http://zippydsm.deviantart.com/

Re: Police Officials Angered by GTA Mods Featuring Realistic

Submitted by HarmlessBunny on Wed, 04/08/2009 - 14:15.

Well now that you have many, you can destroy those. Then win some more!

==============

James Fletcher, member of ECA Canada

Re: Police Officials Angered by GTA Mods Featuring ...

Submitted by Rodrigo Ybáñez ... on Wed, 04/08/2009 - 09:43.

People is just give up to real life.

The cynical side of videogames (spanish only): http://thelostlevel.blogspot.com/ My DeviantArt Page (aka DeviantCensorship): http://www.darkknightstrikes.deviantart.com/

Re: Police Officials Angered by GTA Mods Featuring Realistic

Submitted by MechaTama31 on Wed, 04/08/2009 - 09:28.

...Because otherwise the nutbags who go violent-crazy from the vidya games wouldn't know what a real cop car looks like, right?

This is stupid on so many levels.

Re: Police Officials Angered by GTA Mods Featuring ...

Submitted by Overcast on Wed, 04/08/2009 - 09:05.

Yeah, I had 'realistic' cars in GTA San Andreas - but the engine could only handle so many polygons at a time before it would crash...

In any event - I don't think it's going to make any 'cop-killers' out of people who would otherwise normally not be... Those that have the disposition to kill - well, they don't need a game to teach them how; that's been long since understood...

Re: Police Officials Angered by GTA Mods Featuring Realistic

Submitted by Charax on Wed, 04/08/2009 - 09:03.

So, crime has been completely eradicated from Fairfax, has it?

I can't think of any other justification for the Fairfax PD to be allocating time to watch and comment to the press on youtube videos of user-generated GTA content.

And what, exactly, do they expect this will get them? the mods won't go away, and people won't stop putting realistic vehicles in GTA games, so it's not like the statement will actually accomplish anything anyway.

Re: Police Officials Angered by GTA Mods Featuring Realistic

Submitted by evilfremen on Wed, 04/08/2009 - 09:34.

You should visit Fairfax sometime, and you will see that they really do have nothing to do with their time. There is no department in the area more prone to hassling people and setting up inane traffic stops for no reason. Really, this whole waste of time is pretty par for the course for them.

Re: Police Officials Angered by GTA Mods Featuring Realistic

Submitted by Austin_Lewis on Wed, 04/08/2009 - 09:21.

Good point, really. Why do they have time for this bullshit? Shouldn't they be doing their fucking job and not playing around on the internet?

Re: Police Officials Angered by GTA Mods Featuring Realistic

Submitted by hellfire7885 on Wed, 04/08/2009 - 09:01.

........... They're just noticing this now?

Such mods have been available since GTA3, in most cases it's to add a touch of realism, or more likely someone wants their own hime city/state patrol cars in the game. Hell, tearing around Los Santos in an LAPD squad car sound fun.

Re: Police Officials Angered by GTA Mods Featuring Realistic

Submitted by HarmlessBunny on Wed, 04/08/2009 - 08:36.

It is a freakin' mod made by the public. So they whine to NBC?

Perhaps it is in poor taste, but it was made by a citizen in your own area. The continent doesn't need to know that you guys are crying over a video-game MOD. Now if T2 games did that officially I could see a little bit of concern there...

Now actually if this mod was made by someone in the police force, that would be funny....

==============

James Fletcher, member of ECA Canada

Re: Police Officials Angered by GTA Mods Featuring ...

Submitted by DeepThorn on Wed, 04/08/2009 - 08:17.

Someone's budget was low, and this is just a way for them to complain to try to get Chargers instead.

Nido Web Flash Tutorials AS2 and AS3 Tutorials for anyone interested.
How to set Xbox 360 Parental Controls

Re: Police Officials Angered by GTA Mods Featuring Realistic

Submitted by sortableturnip on Wed, 04/08/2009 - 08:08.

Sortableturnip's Law: As an online discussion of video game violence grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Jack Thompson approaches 1

Re: Police Officials Angered by GTA Mods Featuring Realistic

Submitted by BearDogg-X on Wed, 04/08/2009 - 20:10.

I tend to prefer that the whiny people press this button instead:

i8.photobucket.com/albums/a4/stwood/Misc/complaintbutton.jpg

Geaux Saints, Geaux Tigers, Geaux Hornets, Jack Thompson can geaux chase a chupacabra.

Geaux Saints, Geaux Tigers, Geaux Hornets. Solidarity for the Saints = No retreat, no surrender. Even through the darkest days, this fire burns always.

Re: Police Officials Angered by GTA Mods Featuring Realistic

Submitted by Adrian Lopez on Wed, 04/08/2009 - 12:02.

Is the grenade set to go off the moment the pin is removed? If not, the grenade would in fact make for a stronger complaint.

Re: Police Officials Angered by GTA Mods Featuring Realistic

Submitted by Wolvenmoon on Wed, 04/08/2009 - 23:51.

So we need some of the ones with a timed detonation in the DMV.

I will not buy securom games. http://www.wolvenmoon.com/sharedfiles/message1.jpg and http://www.wolvenmoon.com/sharedfiles/message2.jpg

Re: Police Officials Angered by GTA Mods Featuring Realistic

Submitted by Shadow D. Darkman on Wed, 04/08/2009 - 08:36.

Very witty, especially with the grenade.

It's also quite fitting.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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"A Chrono Trigger is anything that unleashes its will or desire to change history!" -Gaspar

Re: Police Officials Angered by GTA Mods Featuring ...

Submitted by Praetorian on Wed, 04/08/2009 - 08:05.

I don't see the big deal. Most policemen I know aren't completely honest anyhow. If they want to pull you over all they have to do is make up an excuse.

Praetorian

"If you sit by the river long enough, you will see the body of your enemy floating by."

http://www.myspace.com/pree_tawr_ee_uhn

Praetorian

"If you sit by the river long enough, you will see the body of your enemy floating by."

http://www.myspace.com/pree_tawr_ee_uhn

Re: Police Officials Angered by GTA Mods Featuring ...

Submitted by nighstalker160 on Wed, 04/08/2009 - 09:23.

Actually they don't need to make up everything.

Statistically the average driver violates a traffic ordinance every 9 seconds. All the police need is a reason they COULD pull you over.

Doesn't mean that's the REAL reason they stopped you. But it's a pretty low burden under Terry v. Ohio, and a subsequent case called "Wren v. something or other"

Re: Police Officials Angered by GTA Mods Featuring ...

Submitted by Stealthguy on Fri, 04/10/2009 - 12:53.

Yup, if one persons/organization/ect. set of derived statics ran the world I'd certainly feel safer .

Re: Police Officials Angered by GTA Mods Featuring ...

Submitted by Stealthguy on Fri, 04/10/2009 - 12:53.

Yup, if one persons/organization/ect. set of derived statics ran the world I'd certainly feel safer .

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DorthLous: Anybody tried Hiversaire? Thoughts?05/22/2013 - 5:48pm

E. Zachary Knight: New Humble Bundle Weekly Sale. Alan Wake: https://www.humblebundle.com/weekly No Linux or Mac support. :(05/22/2013 - 1:46pm

E. Zachary Knight: Microsoft talks about the lack of backward compatability. You're backwards. http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/192801/If_youre_backwards_compatible_youre_really_backwards.php05/22/2013 - 1:39pm

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MaskedPixelante: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-05-22-microsoft-wont-let-indies-self-publish-on-xbox-one And the hits just keep on coming.05/22/2013 - 9:20am

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Imautobot: I gotta admit, I seriously believed Microsoft was going to "Bring It" with this new console. But they failed, and I think that failure might be Epic.05/22/2013 - 7:27am

Andrew Eisen: Well, the Xbox One reveal certainly had an interesting affect on the big 3's stock prices. https://twitter.com/AndrewEisen/status/33705126448977100805/21/2013 - 10:45pm

PHX Corp: http://kotaku.com/so-the-xbox-one-reveal-screwed-up-a-lot-of-peoples-kin-509179256 So The Xbox One Reveal Screwed With Some People's Kinects05/21/2013 - 10:36pm

Zen: On a funny side note...both of my boys have already voted NOT to get the Xbox One as soon as they found out Minecraft won't transfer lol. Some people have priorities damnit! ;)05/21/2013 - 9:27pm

Andrew Eisen: Here's the full quote on EA making Wii U games according to Neogaf: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=56112105/21/2013 - 8:19pm

Andrew Eisen: Xbox One may not be always on but that doesn't mean you can use it without an internet connection. http://kotaku.com/xbox-one-does-require-internet-connection-cant-play-o-50916410905/21/2013 - 7:39pm

Andrew Eisen: Polygon says EA's CFO says it is developing games for Wii U but doesn't provide that quote. http://www.polygon.com/2013/5/21/4351844/ea-developing-wii-u-games05/21/2013 - 7:11pm

Andrew Eisen: Well, I was right. Both Sony and Microsoft's consoles will be out by the year's end and both will be significantly more powerful than the current gen.05/21/2013 - 5:06pm

james_fudge: thnx05/21/2013 - 4:47pm

Zen: Just to let ya know...you called it the "Xbox 260" in the backwards compatibility article lol.05/21/2013 - 4:26pm

Zen: @PHX Awesome, I will hit those up after class tonight. Going back to college finally! :) My kids have had a blast telling ME to do my homework now lol.05/21/2013 - 4:19pm

PHX Corp: @Zen I sent you a friend request on both PSN and XBL, just a heads up05/21/2013 - 4:16pm

Zen: I noticed it with the football players when EA showed off Madden as well.05/21/2013 - 4:11pm

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