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Who the VCPD are
The Vice City Police Department is the police force of Vice City, GTA 6’s version of Miami. Fans first read its name on police markings in Trailer 1 in December 2023, and community wikis identify VCPD units in the Extended Look’s causeway chase. reported
Its best-known scene is Mendez’s task force storming the Venture Apartments at the start of the Extended Look, released on August 27, 2026. The raid is on screen; that Mendez is VCPD comes from community wikis reading his badge. shown
It is one of at least three forces around the city. Vice Beach has its own police, and the county has the Vice-Dale Police Department, which mirrors the real split between Miami, Miami Beach and Miami-Dade County. The full list of agencies is on the GTA 6 police page.
Where the VCPD appears
| Appearance | What is shown | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Trailer 1, December 2023 | Fans read Vice City Police markings among nine police agencies in the trailer, as Dexerto reported on December 13, 2023 | reported |
| Trailer 2, May 6, 2025 | An officer talking to a group of fellow cops says “Us cops, we gotta protect each other” (about 1:47, per community transcripts). Community wikis say he is Mendez | fan ID |
| Extended Look, opening sequence (from about 0:06) | Mendez’s task force raids the Venture Apartments drug lab. Community wikis read his badge as VCPD | shown |
| Extended Look, causeway chase (about 14:00) | Police chase Raul Bautista’s getaway with six stars on the HUD. Community wikis identify VCPD and Vice Beach units | shown |
| Livery | Community wikis describe the cruisers as white with blue double stripes | rumor |
Mendez and the task force raid
The Extended Look opens with Jason and Lucia collecting a package for Boobie Ike from Raymond’s drug lab in the Venture Apartments. Raymond’s partner Ernesto warns that the task force is on its way, and moments later Mendez and his squad storm the building. He executes a suspect who has already surrendered and orders his squad to clean up the scene. Jason and Lucia stay out of his sight and escape through a neighbor’s window. shown
The pair react as if they know him, and fan recaps read the scene as a shared history that could set him up as a main antagonist. Rockstar has published no bio, and it is community wikis, not Rockstar, that place him in the VCPD, based on his badge. rumor
How the police hunt you
The Extended Look put six wanted stars on the HUD, one more than GTA V’s five; GTA IV also had six. shown The stars change their look during a chase, which outlets read as a sign of what the police know, though they disagree on what each state means, and evidence icons are reported to track your face, clothes, CCTV footage, whether Jason and Lucia were seen together, your vehicle and your weapon. reported
Recaps add that crimes need a witness or an alarm and that police do not show on the minimap. reported What a six-star response looks like, and which agency answers where, has not been shown. The wanted level explainer has the detail, and how to lose a wanted level covers shaking them off.
VCPD, Vice Beach Police and Vice-Dale PD
| Force | Area | Real-world match (fan comparison) | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| VCPD | City of Vice City | City of Miami Police | Trailer markings, the Extended Look |
| Vice Beach Police | Vice Beach | Miami Beach Police | A patrol car outside the Ocean View Hotel in an official screenshot |
| Vice-Dale Police Department | Vice-Dale County | Miami-Dade police | Markings on police vehicles in Trailer 1 |
Miami’s real police have not warmed to the tie-in. Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz and Commissioner Juan Carlos Bermudez released a joint statement in early September 2026 rejecting any marketing deal with Rockstar, WLRN reported. The county went ahead with a deal anyway, and a “Welcome to Vice City” sign went up on the Kaseya Center on September 22 (our news post). reported
An old name in a new city
The VCPD name goes back to Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002) and Vice City Stories (2006), both set in the 1980s. GTA 6 is a modern-day city with a new map, so this is a new force with an old badge. The Vice City history page covers what carried over.
What is not known yet
- Whether Mendez is the main antagonist, and what his history with Jason and Lucia is.
- What a six-star response looks like.
- Whether you can bribe, work with or join the police. Nothing has been announced.
Frequently asked questions
Is the VCPD in GTA 6?
Yes. The Vice City Police Department is the city force in GTA 6's Vice City. Fans first read its markings in Trailer 1 in December 2023. Community wikis spot its units in the Extended Look's police chase and place Mendez, whose task force raids the Venture Apartments in the same video, in the VCPD based on his badge.
Who is Mendez in GTA 6?
A Vice City police officer who leads a task force. In the Extended Look he leads the raid on the Venture Apartments drug lab and executes a suspect who has surrendered, which recaps read as a sign he is corrupt. Rockstar has published no bio, and whether he is the main villain is speculation.
How many wanted stars are there in GTA 6?
Six, shown on the HUD in the Extended Look. GTA V had five and GTA IV also had six. What a six-star response looks like has not been shown.
Is the VCPD based on the real Miami police?
Fans and community wikis match it to the City of Miami Police Department, with Vice Beach Police as Miami Beach and the Vice-Dale Police Department as the county force. Rockstar has not named any real-world model.
What changed on this page
- Mendez being corrupt is now given as the recaps' reading of the Extended Look, not as something shown.