This is my favourite set that I own. I remember receiving this for my birthday when I was a kid. I spent all night building it and touched nothing else for the next 2 months. It is very nostalgic for me.

Building experience

The build was pretty easy for me but I'm not sure about it for a 5-year-old. However, it doesn't lose many points because it is still pretty easy.

Parts

This set isn't exactly great part central, but it has a motorcycle piece and computer screens, so it could be worse.

Playability

I remember after I got this set as a kid, It was the only toy I touched for two months (give or take)

Value for money

I think this set was worth $45, and the price per part ratio isn't bad either.

Introduction:

This is a great set. I spent $45 on it, so question is, is it worth the money? Review in short: YES. With all the great features and playability, this set was fun for a TFOL like me, and would be great for younger and older fans alike.

Building the Set:

This set was very easy to build, like many Lego City sets, too easy to build. I found no mistakes in the instructions, and the set came together very well. The only problem was of course color differentiation, and I don't remember the manuals showing us where to put a few of the stickers.

Features and "The Good"

The main feature of this set is the opening roof and doors of the trailer. There's also an unrealistic prison cell at the back, which adds to the playablility, but not the realism. The cab is nice enough, but with a gaping whole on the back of the cover for it. Anyways, good things about the set are the playability, doors, extra space, and the little red car of course!(not being much bigger than the Lego City Small Car set)

Minifigures and "The Bad"

The figures in this set were weak. Being only three, I expected a lot more from them. All we get is a decent detective, regular motorcop, and the same criminal we get in the Police Minifigure collection! On to the bad, of course the figures, the motorcycle being the same as every other one in Lego City, the empty room where it says 'police' on the door, and the lack of interior furniture.

Final Thoughts:

This set has many cons, however I really do think the pro's outweighed them for this set. With the great play value, nice look, and overall greatness, I think this set will look great in my Lego City, and yours too.

This is my second set after reintroducing myself to Lego building. It probably should have been my first. It is solid, large, attractive and the build was very enjoyable. It includes a number of unusual elements and accessories that lend themselves well to other creative building projects. This is my first police item for my city, and short of the police station itself I couldn't have picked better.

Pros

• At just over 11 cents American per piece, this set represents an impressive value and is priced generously.
  
• The design of this set is very imaginative and would lend itself well to play. The fold out walls and tip up roof on the trailer allow total access to the surveillance center and the other doors are placed so that nothing within the trailer is difficult to reach.
  
• Some of the details on this set are above and beyond what I expect from Lego. As an ex-trucker I appreciate the details on the rig in particular. The molded airfoil on top of the cab over truck is in keeping with practical design and the smoke stacks behind the sleeper (which only lacks a bed to make the tractor spot on) made me chuckle. I particularly enjoyed building the headlight/grill assembly. The little coffee pot in the trailer is a hoot!
  

Cons

• While I appreciate how accessible the surveillance center is by way of the fold out walls and flip up roof, the combination of these elements makes the trailer a bit weak. I imagine that if this vehicle were involved in rigorous play several pieces of it would commonly fall apart.
  
• The instructions did not direct where to place three of the decals. You have to figure it out by looking at the box and deciding where you like them best.
  
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Overall, I have to call this set fantastic as it was fun to build, looks great, was an excellent value and implies a story with the included elements and minifigures. If you enjoy the police aspect of the City theme, you will probably love this set.

My wife picked this up at the Carrefour store in Neihu, Taipei yesterday on sale. Yes, a new kit on sale.First off, this is one of the best vehicles in my collection. It certainly has the most playability of any single vehicle. The trailer opens beautifully into a full-blown command center. The roof and both doors open smoothly and there is no sagging.The jail cell in back is great. My 3 and 5yo daughters have learned what a jail is now. :)The build was fun with some pieces I hadn't seen before, and some others I haven't seen since the late seventies. The motorcycle was just about like the standalone bike, but without the saddlebags. At least I have one for each girl now. The "getaway" car was fun and both girls like to chase the bad guy.Overall, great kit and one that will be well-used.

UPDATE 1/3/11: TRU in Taipei has the new police truck (2011 set) and I closely compared the two. Not sure why LEGO released another mobile police truck since this one was so good. The new one has a side that flips up, but this one has an opening roof and double-swinging doors. Very cool. Get this one instead.

This semi Truck for the police was one of my all-time most played with set back when it came out. Of course, being a part of one of the best Lego City Police lines of all time had great features and mini-figs to go along with it. Off course, the mini-figs are never something to ride home about with 2 cops the police chief (exclusive), and a crook all the figs came together to make a valuable play experience. Now there are some drawbacks it hasn't aged well and the roof of the trailer does have a tendency to fall apart. Over all I would recommend it to anyone who loves lego city and remembers the old lego city short animations on Lego.com back in the day the Truck appears in several episodes.