Police Chief Simulator prisoner guide: registration & van transport

Police Chief Simulator prisoner management: the full sequence

The September 6 Prisoner Management preview explains the workflow below. Use it to identify your current stage, then follow the prompts in your installed build. This is a source-based guide, not a claim that we have tested every interaction in the release.

Finish registration before trying the van

Start at the holding-cell stage. The developer describes registration as a prerequisite for transport. Being inside a cell does not, by itself, demonstrate that the prisoner’s processing is complete.

1. Read the active objective and identify which prisoner it concerns.
2. Work through the paperwork, photograph and criminal-record tasks described by the game’s prompts.
3. Check whether the objective still asks for a registration action before attempting to escort the prisoner.
4. If the next step is unclear, capture both the objective and the available interaction. That shows whether you are waiting on processing or movement.

Those checkpoints are our troubleshooting method, not additional game rules. We have not verified a universal key sequence, a specific stamp order or a complete list of registration errors. Follow the controls shown by your build instead of guessing from a different edition’s video.

A worker behaving oddly at a registration desk may be a separate issue: Hotfix #4 addresses registration staff working while away from their desks. It does not establish a fix for every holding-cell problem.

Before transporting prisoners to the local prison

Once processing is complete, use the game’s escort and vehicle prompts. The official preview places the transport vehicle behind the station and describes delivery to the local prison.

Before leaving, check the prisoner’s processing state and any remaining handover instruction. If the objective still names paperwork, photograph or registration, resolve that stage first. If the prisoner is already outside but cannot reach the vehicle, use the blocked-transport section below.

Keep the two locations distinct when asking for help: the Holding Cells are at your police station; the local prison is the delivery destination. “Stuck in the cells,” “stuck behind the station” and “delivery not completing at the prison” describe different failures.

We have not verified the van’s capacity, an optimal batch size, exact route or a transport shortcut. There is no reason to delay a first successful delivery while trying to optimize an unverified strategy.

Prisoner stuck or police van blocked

Full-game Hotfix #5, published September 18, lists a fix for NPCs obstructing the police van after leaving the Holding Cells. It also mentions trouble exiting the station, but the developer qualifies that exit fix as tentative.

1. Close the game and let Steam finish any pending update.
2. Check the same prisoner and note the precise location of the blockage.
3. Determine whether registration is unfinished, the escort interaction is unavailable, or movement starts and then stops.
4. If the issue remains, record the objective, game version if shown, and whether this save already had the blockage before updating.

A matching patch note is a reason to update, not proof that an affected save will repair itself. Do not overwrite your only save to test an unverified reset. For broader post-load interaction problems, use the known-issues table.

Delivery rewards and paperwork

The developer preview describes a delivery bonus linked to completed documentation and the prisoner’s crime. It does not provide a verified payout table here, so this guide cannot tell you an exact amount or which arrest is most profitable.

If a delivery reward appears wrong, note the crime, what you handed over, the objective before and after delivery, and any visible reward message. Those observations help distinguish a missed handover from a possible reward issue. Avoid treating a remembered payout from the Demo as a benchmark for the full game.

Report the stage that failed

For a useful developer bug report, include the edition, update date, current objective and a short description of the prisoner’s state. Add a screenshot that includes the interaction prompt, not just the NPC.

For Police Chief Simulator prisoner management, keep the investigation tied to one stage: registration, escort, vehicle access or prison handover. Complete that stage before changing several parts of the workflow.

Prisoner registration and transport FAQ

Where is the prisoner transport vehicle?

The September 6 developer preview places it behind the police station. Use your current objective to confirm when transport is available in your build.

Why can’t I move a prisoner out of the cells?

First check whether registration is complete and which interaction is available. A failure to begin escorting is different from the van obstruction described in Hotfix #5.

Does Hotfix #5 guarantee my blocked van will recover?

No. It documents a relevant fix, but does not guarantee recovery of every existing save. Update, check the same situation and report it if it persists.

Can I skip the photograph or paperwork?

The documented process includes both before transport. We have not verified a supported shortcut or a way to bypass registration.

Upgrade the white van to a Prisoner Transporter

Update #2, September 30 added a paid conversion at the Body Workshop at the Car Dealership. Bring the old white van there and use the conversion option to obtain a Prisoner Transporter. The developer says it carries more detainees; the announcement does not specify a reliable capacity or conversion price, so check the in-game offer before paying.

Finish a normal registration and delivery first. A bigger vehicle helps with transport capacity; it does not complete missing paperwork or resolve every blocked prisoner. If the workshop option is unavailable, record your current quest and build rather than assuming you need another copy of the game.

Find or recover a missing vehicle

In Update #7, the Sheriff’s Office computer upstairs gains a Vehicles App. It lists your vehicles and their locations, with a reset option that respawns a vehicle beside the police station.

Inspect the location first. The announcement does not explain what happens to detainees or cargo during a reset, so do not treat it as a verified way to finish an occupied transport. Save and record what is aboard before investigating a recovery.