Last Updated on May 13, 2025 @ 17:57:23 PM.
The Precinct from Fallen Tree Games puts its players in the shoes of a rookie cop looking to make his mark in Averno City while finding out more about his father, the former police chief. With many criminals to identify and bring in, along with a populace that seems to obey the law only when it suits them, Averno can be a challenge to even the most seasoned police officers.
However, a clever cop can navigate the streets with ease, easily rising through the ranks and bringing down even the most tenacious criminals in the process. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you progress through the game and begin to dismantle Averno’s vast network of criminals.
9. Use Your Handbook
Early on in the game, you are given access to a Handbook that lists all possible crimes and scenarios you are likely to encounter on patrol. While the game does give you most of the information you need while making an arrest, you may find yourself wondering which offences to mark down once you arrest a suspect. More often than not, a quick look at your handbook can point you in the right direction, saving you the embarrassment of shabby paperwork.
8. Remember to Read Rights
Every time you put the cuffs on a suspect, you are prompted to read them their rights. This is an important step towards making the perfect arrest, netting you a small amount of bonus XP that is sure to be useful, considering how many suspects you are going to put away over the course of the game.
However, the window to Read Rights is rather small, making it easily missable if you’re not paying attention. An easy way to remember this crucial step is to look for the prompt as the cuffing animation plays out and train your muscle memory to automatically press the right button whenever you’re making an arrest.
7. Don’t Forget to Hand in Evidence at the Precinct
At the end of your shift, you will need to return to the ACPD and interact with your desk to end the day. However, remember to walk over to the Evidence Room and initiate a conversation with the officer there to hand over all of the evidence you collected while out on patrol.
This is an important step in progressing the main story, allowing you to build a case against the Crimson Serpents and Jawheads, gangs that are terrorizing Averno’s streets. You can track how much evidence you have collected against each key member of both gangs here, and also figure out how much more you need to collect when you next hit the streets of Averno.
6. Unlock the Timed Breath Ability ASAP
A lot of your time in Averno City will be spent chasing after perps who would rather avoid being caught. However, that can be a challenge in The Precinct’s early hours, thanks to a limited amount of stamina that you will need to recharge before you can continue sprinting after your suspects.
However, the Timed Breath ability adds a small minigame to your Stamina Bar, allowing you to extend its duration with a well-timed button press while you’re hot on the heels of Averno’s criminals. It essentially gives you unlimited stamina while you chase down a criminal, making those encounters a whole lot easier.
5. Take to the Skies for Some Easy XP
If you’re just short of your next Upgrade Point, or simply can’t wait to find out what cool gear you’re getting with your next rank, flying out on patrol in the ACPD chopper can be a good way to farm XP points. While getting to fly over the city is its own reward, it’s quite easy to keep fleeing criminals in view from the skies, and you can quickly make a bunch of arrests during your shift.
It’s a lot better (and more efficient) than chasing suspects on foot or in your car, and you can always use the Custom Shift option to create a patrol from the chopper if Kowalski doesn’t have one available.
4. Hit the Streets to Find Evidence
While the chopper is useful in farming XP, farming vital evidence against important gang members is equally important toward progressing your career in the ACPD. To that end, patrolling its streets on foot can be a great way to find suspects holding clues to their boss’s whereabouts and activities.
Although patrols in your vehicles could also be quite effective, the game’s driving controls are their own challenge, and you may find suspects getting away more easily than you might want to admit. Staying on foot could net you anywhere between 2 to 5 pieces of Vital Evidence per patrol, making it a great way to get gang leaders off the streets.
3. Don’t Worry About Progressing Side Missions in The Precinct
Once you meet the ACPD’s best detectives, you will soon come across a case involving a lot of murders that are staged to get your attention. While you may be fooled into thinking that you need to keep an eye out for clues to the killer’s identity, The Precinct automatically takes you in the right direction without too much fuss.
Simply respond to the detective you’re working with when they reach out to you while you’re on patrol, and you’ll soon have the killer behind bars.
2. Switch Out Your Vehicle at the First Opportunity
You’ll soon find that the default police cruiser you’re given is a mixed bag as far as its handling and acceleration are concerned. However, you get access to better vehicles as you rise up the ACPD’s ranks, and can easily switch vehicles once you do.
Considering that a lot of cases in The Precinct involve high-speed pursuits, you should absolutely switch to a better car like the Station Wagon to give you more speed and better handling while you’re chasing down an evasive suspect.
1. Try Out Different Weapons to See What Works for You
As you level up, you get access to better weapons from the ACPD’s armory. Many of them pack some serious firepower, allowing you to take down hostiles in the field with ease. However, you may find that some of them are better than the others based on the ammo capacity and firing speed.
Find the ones that suit your playstyle and switch out older weapons from the armory menu that you access by interacting with the trunk of your vehicle or at ammo stations out in the field.
You should soon find yourself rapidly progressing up the ranks and earning the respect of your fellow officers with these tips!
For more Thumb Wars gaming coverage, check out our review of The Precinct or our picks for Game of the Year 2025. Otherwise, follow Thumb Wars on X, Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram to keep up with the latest news, reviews, and interviews!
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With a passion for gaming that is equaled only by his love for writing, Varun has either a controller, keyboard, or a guitar in his hands when he is not out exploring the middle of nowhere on a motorcycle. Soulslikes, RPGs, and action-adventure titles keep him awake at night and get him out of bed in the morning. He will never stop lamenting the lack of a Bloodborne sequel even as he spends another couple of hours exploring the Lands Between in Elden Ring.
