Tag Archives: Police

This model’s the bomb (squad)

When the bomb squad has to get up close and personal with an explosive device, the technicians will don an explosive ordnance disposal suit (AKA, a bomb suit), which is a highly reinforced set of body armor. LEGO builder Djokson has crafted a high-tech version using a variety of odd LEGO parts. The black bits are mostly rubber tires turned inside out, while the top of the helmet and the chest are opposing sides of an X-pod canister from 2004. One particularly clever bit is the knob on the chest, which is a LEGO magnet held on purely by magnetism, thanks to another magnet inside the suit.

The Minesweeper

I generally pride myself on being a parts guys and can generally recognize most LEGO elements quickly. But there’s one that’s throwing me for a loop here, so I’m going to crowdsource the answer from all of you. The green ring for the neck has me at a loss. It looks very familiar but I can’t quite put my finger on it enough to locate it on a resource like Brickset or Bricklink. So leave your guesses in the comments!

License and registration, please

Have you ever considered the possibility of actually being thrilled to see a cop’s flickering lights in your rearview mirror? I know, it seems like a stretch of a premise, but hear me out. The lights come on, you break out in a cold sweat and in a hurried panic keister the banana you were going to eat for lunch later. Then once he pulls you over and taps on the glass it’s all-yes, officer, no officer, anything you say, officer. It’s only after the ordeal is over that you realize it’s not illegal to transport a banana after all and you feel like a damned buffoon. We’ve all been there, right? No? OK, forget I mentioned it. Here’s an awesome LEGO classic wagon built by Versteinert that, if seen in the rearview mirror, probably would make the experience of being pulled over just slightly more palatable.

Classic Police Car

Versteinert knows a thing or two about classic cars. He designed the new LEGO Ideas gift with purchase set, after all.

Building a remote control police van [feature]

As a child I literally dreamed of having a remote control LEGO car. I’m not an experienced Technic builder, though, and the LEGO electronics I had in the eighties weren’t up to the job. So actually making this happen took a long time.

I had to combine different systems for adding electrical functions to LEGO models, but now I’ve finally done it. My new Dutch National Police Volkswagen Transporter drives and steers using IR remote control. It also has a working siren and lights. Nonetheless, it has opening doors and an interior, so it looks just like any of the other vehicles I’ve been building for years.

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LEGO Modular Buildings Collection 10278 Police Station [Review]

With last year’s 10270 Bookshop, LEGO returned to a more traditional style of architecture than the 1950’s style of the previous couple of years. With this year’s 10278 Police Station, LEGO continues a classic look that would not feel out of place on the streets of New York or London. The new Modular set includes 2,923 pieces with five minifigures, and will be available starting January 1st, 2021 ($199.99 US | $269.99 CAD | UK pricing TBD).

The theme of the set is not without controversy and some strong reactions from within the LEGO fan community. We’ll address this later in the review, but ask our readers up front to be respectful of differing opinions in the comments.

The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

Read our hands on review of 10278 Police Station

LEGO reveals 10278 Police Station as next in the Modular Buildings Collection [News]

LEGO has announced its 16th Modular building in the highly popular lineup first introduced in 2007. The upcoming set will be a Police Station with an intricate architectural flair, sandwiched between a donut shop and a newsstand. The box art transitions to the new adult-themed dark background shades with an 18+ age guidance indicator, also a bump up from the 16+ age recommendation since the inception of the series, along with new Modular Buildings Collection branding.

The set comes with 2,923 pieces and 5 minifigures and will retail for $199.99 US | $269.99 CAD | €199 EU | $299.99 AU and will be available on January 1, 2021. This makes it the second-largest Modular building, following the special 10th-anniversary Assembly Square with 4,002 pieces.

Click to see the full details of the Police Station modular

The distinctive markings of British emergency vehicles

A lot of young boys want to become policemen, firefighters, or paramedics when they grow up. I, too, was fascinated by emergency vehicles. There was something about their bright markings, flashing lights, and sirens. As an adult, I realise that the work done by emergency services can be far from glamorous, but emergency vehicles do make for fun and attractive LEGO models. So, I have built models of vehicles from Tokyo, New York and the Netherlands. For years I’ve also had a collection of vehicles from the UK. In the last few weeks, I had a go at building a few newer ones to replace models of vehicles that are no longer in service. They are a long-wheelbase Ford Transit van, as used by the London metropolitan police, and a Mercedes Sprinter ambulance used by the London ambulance service.

For most builders, myself included, painting LEGO is not an option. I do use stickers, but I build most of the color scheme into the model. Because of this, it can become integral to the model’s construction, and I very much enjoy figuring out how to include a particular pattern. Given their colorful liveries, this applies to models of emergency vehicles in particular. Nowadays, most British emergency vehicles use a distinctive checkered pattern, known as “battenberg” markings, after battenberg cake. On the ambulance, I built its blocks using green and lime green parts. This was not easy. The vertical boundaries between them have to line up with features of the vehicle. Furthermore, the blocks on the side of the van body all have the same length. Due to the scale of my model, I couldn’t recreate them using the straightforward studs-up building. So, I had to get creative. I ended up building most of the blocks sideways, to make them just a plate narrower.

The London metropolitan police switched to yellow and blue battenberg markings in 2012. Older vehicles still use a livery called a “jam sandwich” though. This, too is very distinctive: it’s a gold-colored stripe with orange and blue stripes above and below it. This was a lot easier to build. Frustratingly though, I did have to contend with variations in the gold color of the various elements, including multiples that came from the same set.

A high-visibility pattern of yellow and orange chevrons covers (part of) the rear of both vehicles. As I did with most of the lettering, using stickers for those would have given me a cleaner look. However, I do like the LEGO-like look I get by building them using bricks and plates. My vehicles are unmistakably LEGO models. Yet, almost anybody who knows what the real ones look like will recognise them.

I can’t imagine that Transit vans like mine will remain in service for much longer, but that is just the excuse I will need to build a newer vehicle in a couple of years’ time.

Woop-woop! That’s the sound of the space police!

They say the vast emptiness of space is entirely silent. It must be so in most parts of the universe, but definitely not anywhere near Sheo.‘s bizarre LEGO space police station. The sirens of such creepy police pods must sound totally far out. It doesn’t matter which world’s laws these guys enforce; you’d better slow down swooshing by this station.

Police Station

LEGO City 2020 lineup reveals 8 new sets for Police and Fire [News]

Today we’re getting our first look at the City 2020 lineup, starting with eight new sets from the emergency services divisions of Police and Fire, thanks to various retailers. With six new Police sets and two Fire sets, LEGO City will certainly be active next year. The lineup even includes real flying helicopters thanks to a ripcord launcher system similar to those used on other themes like Ninjago. Each of the sets will be officially available starting Dec. 26, 2019, and while we don’t have full USD prices yet, we can confirm approximate euro prices.

Don’t miss the other new sets for 2020:

Check out all the individual City sets below.

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Yes, she knows it’s a multipass. Anyway, we’re in love.

When you’re having a bad day, sometimes it’s nice to just sit down and watch a fun science fiction movie like The Fifth Element. There are great characters, an engaging story, and a universe that is willing to give us flying cars. Davdup brings that love of the vehicles into LEGO form with renditions of a police cruiser and Korben Dallas’ taxi. Slightly bigger than minifgure scale, these beauties feature smooth curves, complex angles, custom stickers, and build details straight from the movie.

IMG_5324-Modifier

The police car is a solid build (I love the grille tiles in the window) that accurately captures the utilitarian vehicle. Davdup has chosen to also include a window-delivered to-go order from McDonald’s, giving us a great callback to the movie. The interior is also pretty sweet, using a Technic pilot’s yoke for the steering wheel. Continue reading

Sir, we thought you were here to protect us...

For over four months, the citizens of Hong Kong have been protesting a proposed bill that relinquishes some of Hong Kong’s autonomy and places the city-state under more direct influence of mainland China. More than 2 million peaceful demonstrators have been met with increasingly violent responses from the Hong Kong Police Force, who have bolstered their ranks with mainland Chinese forces and decried the protests as riots, shooting thousands of canisters of tear gas at the civilian crowds. LEGO builder Wing Lee, a Hong Kong citizen, has created this poignant vignette of a demonstrator and a riot-gear equipped policeman.

Sir, we thought you were here to protect us.

The two figures stand atop a five-petal orchid, the symbol of Hong Kong, while the color fades from the city’s traditional red and white motif beneath the armored officer. The world is watching this time, and may democracy prevail.

DUPLO riot police crosses a thin blue line

DUPLO is an excellent way to engage the minds of 2-5 year olds and to introduce them to “regular” LEGO, which they would likely play with once they get a little older. The larger pieces, simple construction, and cute scenarios are ideal for little hands and developing minds. But leave a youngin’ watching a certain…animal-named news station unsupervised for fifteen minutes, and they may raid the stash of smaller bricks to build adorable DUPLO riot gear to keep the adorable DUPLO zebras from playing with the adorable DUPLO giraffes. A builder who goes by the dubious name of Paddy Bricksplitter shows us the way with this DUPLO riot frame.

Duplo Riot Frame

Plenty of LEGO System, Bionicle, and Duplo parts are mixed (you can do that, you know!) to construct this admittedly coherent mech suit armed with a high powered water cannon, tear gas launcher and a heavy duty shield. When your DUPLO denizens get too rowdy, you can bop them on their adorable DUPLO noggins with the baton. Justice is served, poopy-heads!

Guardian stands at the ready, through rain or shine

If Marius Herrmann hasn’t been a name gracing your feed with his iconic sci-fi and game culture builds, this is an excellent example of what you’re bound to find. Based on a previous design, this Guardian of the Shrine is the lead commander of the 2041 police force. Its imposing stance, strong and at the ready, undeterred by the surrounding rain. This gorgeous Photoshop edit really shows this character off, showing purpose behind his being. Great part use comes naturally to Marius and this pillar of authority is no different. His use of a Scala denim jacket as a short Hakama sets the bar, while the socket wrench found on each limb brings continuity in construction. I feel that the small space blasters on the sides of the head, add to its formidable appearance, leaving me to question if I he would know more about me that I do.

神社の守護者; "Guardian of the Shrine"

For another view of Marius Herrmann’s atmospheric LEGO creations, have a look at his Alfheim from God of War.