6398 - Central Precinct HQ

Rating:
Pros: Four vehicles; two baseplates; windows and doors are very groovy
Cons: The walkway that spans the road is weak
Contents: 609 pieces including 5 mini-figs
Price: Discontinued
Reviewed: 20-Jun-1998
Reviewed by: G. M.

Senior officer of the Washington DC area Police Department, Sam Frost, was on one of the last cases of his career before his retirement. He had been with the police force since the 1960s and had investigated many interesting crimes, but this one was by far one of the most strange. A young woman that was stuck in the hippie era had broken into many of the surrounding industrial areas and done several hundred thousand dollars in damage. She found her way into several factories and clogged up the machinery with plants and seeds, causing them to stop working. There was no indication why she did this but she was now fleeing into a wooded area.
Sam heard the broadcast over his radio and quickly descended three flights of stairs to the garage of the police department. He hopped into the station's 4x4 pursuit truck and sped off to the area of the forest where the young lady was last seen.
Trees flew past him as the truck bounced over the uneven terrain. Suddenly, he saw her. she was running but had now slowed to a stop. She knew she couldn't outrun a truck. She turned around and stuck her hands into the air and a huge vine sprouted from the forest floor, picking up the truck a good thirty feet in the air.
"I told you I would be back!" shouted a voice seemingly out of nowhere...

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I can only say good things about this set compared to the present police station. Anyway, the Central Precinct HQ is just what the name says: it is the central station and headquarters for my policemen.
The complex consists of three buildings, all interconnected. The first building is the smallest and only has two floors. The first floor contains a few very cool 1x4x5 windows and doors and a small gate or toll booth of some kind that stretches across one section of road. On the upper floor is a small office for one police officer. Inside the office are some 1x2 computer tiles and a video phone. The roof has an antenna, small satellite dish, and a public address system. The building is connected to the other two buildings by a bridge that spans both sections of the road.
The second building is the largest and has four stories. The first floor is a small garage and contains some tools and a spot for the motorcycle to be parked. The second floor has the same 1x4x5 windows and door as the first building. Inside is a criminal check-in desk. The desk has two 2x2 grey tiles. One has mugshots and handprints of a criminal. The other has a fingerprint, bottle of ink, and magnifying glass painted on. A four-screen monitor decal is on the wall. There is a cool swiveling chair. The third floor is the main control office. The interior houses a 1x2x1 computer brick with illegible text and the silhouette of a head. There is also a VCR capable of holding two 1x2 video tape tiles. A map of a city hangs on the wall. The fourth floor is nothing special. It has a bed and some 3x3x4 slanted windows. The roof of the building has another public address system and a radar dish.
The last building is two stories tall and holds the jail cell. The cell is on the bottom floor and consists of a bed. The door is interesting. It is made of two dark grey ladders and has a locking mechanism made of a 1x2x1 hinged brick. The only thing inside the prison is a bed. I kinda feel sorry for the guy. The second floor is the officers' lounge. It has a table with two chairs and some red coffee mugs. There is even a cool coffee pot in the corner that is made of some black 2x1 plates and a 1x1x1 clear brick. The lounge has a very high ceiling with 3x3x4 windows. The roof holds a blue radar dish. The dish is especially useful in Ice Planet 2002 constructions because of its color.
The bridge that connects the two sets of buildings is made of some grey plates and supports. Inside one of the supports is a traffic light. The front lawn of the station has a yellow helipad and a very well-constructed helicopter. The chopper is very aerodynamic and even has (you won't believe this)...a storage compartment! Come on Lego, if you made all of your vehicles like this one there would be a lot of happy people!
The other three vehicles are a white motorcycle, a small police car, and a 4x4 offroad truck. The motorcycle is pretty standard, all it has is the police logo on each side and a siren in the back. The police car is made from a pre-built chassis and has a small siren fixture on the back. If you take the "POLICE" decal and sirens off of it, it makes a nifty little sports coupe. The 4x4 truck has shock absorbent wheels (Yippee!) and some equipment such as a shovel, pick ax, and backpack.
Five mini-figs are included. Two are identical and have black zipper jackets and sunglasses. Another one has a black jacket and grey pants. He also has blue sunglasses, stubble and a nifty hat too (the hat is black and has the police logo on it). The chief mini-fig has a black suit and tie and has a weird cap used on boat and train mini-figs. The last mini-fig is a prisoner with a black striped uniform and a moustache.
The model is a definite must-have and you will be very pleased with it if you pick it up in an old dusty toy store or auction. Also, the inclusion of four well built vehicles and two baseplates is a huge plus. The alternate models on the box will also please you. They include a toll booth with control center, a cool SWAT team truck, and a small hotel.