Tips and Tricks | The Precinct Guide
Image Credits: Fallen Tree Games Ltd, The Precinct
Regardless of whether you're just starting your first shift or knee-deep in gang turf wars, The Precinct gives you a lot more to manage than just catching crooks.
Here are some solid tips and tricks to help you stay alive, rack up XP, and climb the ranks faster than your tires can get shot out.
Read More: The Precinct Achievements and Trophy Guide
Prioritize Physical Upgrades Early
Don’t sleep on stamina and health.
When you’re fresh on the force, the game feels easy… until it doesn’t. Once gang firefights and spontaneous armed robberies start stacking, you’ll regret skipping physical upgrades.
First skill pick? Extra 50% health.
Second? More stamina for all the foot chases you’ll be doing.
The "timed breath" ability is decent, but stamina capacity is more reliable early on.
Watch for Random Events, Not Just Dispatches
Some of the best XP and fights come from spontaneous crimes:
Brawls breaking out nearby
Civilians fleeing from unseen threats
Armed gang members ambushing you during a routine stop
If something seems off, it probably is. Investigate everything.
Extra Ammo > Vehicle Armor
Combat > Vehicle in the early game.
Combat upgrades give you more bullets, and trust me, you’ll need them. Early fights escalate fast, and you don’t want to be stuck reloading while five guys with pistols rush you.
Melee resistance is fine, but focus on that ammo perk first.
Ignore early vehicle upgrades—car durability doesn’t matter much until later.
Don’t Rush the Precinct When Your Shift Ends
Shift timer = suggestion, not law.
Staying on duty after your shift technically ends is one of the best ways to farm XP.
Handle more crimes, pin more charges, and rack up 10,000 XP in one shift for the achievement.
Just avoid mistakes—false charges cost you XP.
Civilian accidents (like running over pedestrians during chases) will also drop your score.
Patrol the High-Crime Zones
Not all districts are created equal.
Every area of Vernal City has its own crime patterns.
Stick to industrial and low-income zones if you want action.
Financial districts are mostly quiet, unless you enjoy parking violations.
Crimes often spawn dynamically, so don’t just wait for dispatch—drive around and look for trouble.
Use Support Tokens Strategically
Don’t waste support on small-time thugs.
You build up support tokens through good policing, and you can use them to call in:
Backup units (1-2 tokens)
Cruisers or helicopters (more expensive, but worth it during gang fights)
Spike strips and roadblocks (great for ending car chases quickly)
Save your support for:
Big gang shootouts
Boss takedowns
High-speed pursuits that cross districts
Delay Policing and Vehicle Skill Trees (At First)
The policing tree gives stuff like roadblock access and wider callout range. Not bad, but not essential early game.
Vehicle perks like self-inflating tires sound cool but don’t matter much when you can just hop in another car.
Once you’ve leveled up a few times, grab commandeering from the vehicle tree so you can jack cars like it’s 1985.
Your Car is a Tool, Not a Crutch
If your car’s smoking, ditch it and find another. This isn’t a driving sim—you’re not married to your cruiser. The game lets you commandeer other cars (once unlocked), and there’s always something to steal on the street.
Final Blurb
The Precinct is like a full-on strategic street brawl disguised as a cop sim. Stick to high-XP zones, don’t waste skill points early on things you won’t use, and be smarter than the average gangster. The city will keep throwing surprises at you, so keep your stamina high, your ammo stocked, and your cruiser dent-free… or at least replaceable.
FAQ
Q: What skills should I upgrade first?
Start with Physical: extra health and stamina. Then grab extra ammo from Combat.
Q: Are vehicle skills worth it early on?
Not really. You won’t feel the benefit until much later. Focus on foot combat and survivability first.
Q: How do I get more XP in one shift?
Stay out after the shift timer ends, chase high-crime events, and stack every charge you can prove.
Q: How do I get more Support Tokens?
By doing your job well—correct arrests, crime response, and keeping civilians safe. Don’t use tokens on every random encounter.
Q: What happens if I pin the wrong offense on someone?
You lose XP (about 50 per mistake), and it adds up fast. Only charge what you can prove.
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