The Champaign, Illinois Police Department was not happy when they saw images from the popular video game Grand Theft Auto showing squad cars and police officers donning the Department name, logos, and colors. 

Sample renderings of Champaign police vehicles and police officers were posted on Sunday afternoon on a 26,400 member Facebook group called Spotted in Chambana Uncensored.  Zach Royce, who studied at the University of Illinois, had created the artwork for the computer game and he wanted to share it with the community.

Royce posted six still image renderings to Facebook at 2:14pm on Sunday.  The images show several police cars that have a strikingly accurate resemblance to the real life versions, including the correct text and logo placement.  The images also show an officer in Champaign Police Department uniform, including an accurate recreation of the department shoulder patch.

Royce’s painstaking efforts to create the graphics received a fair amount of praise from online commenters.  However, less than three hours after Royce’s post, the Champaign Police Department was not only requesting that the images be removed from Facebook, but also requesting that the graphics be removed from the Grand Theft Auto game entirely.

Facebook posting of an “IMPORTANT UPDATE” by Champaign Police on Sunday at 5:11pm: “Champaign Police are aware of a post circulating on social media depicting Champaign Police uniforms and squad cars in a video game. Champaign Police have not authorized any such use and have requested that the individual remove the images from both social media and the game.”

Check CU could not find any law or copyright rule that would support the Department’s request, or which would make it unlawful to use the Department’s likeness in games or movies.  We reached out for comment earlier today but have not yet received a response from Champaign Police.

We were able to discuss the matter with the creator of the graphics.  Royce said that he plays of a version of the Grand Theft Auto game which uses a mod called LSPDFR (which stands for Los Santos Police Department First Response).  This version of the game lets players operate as law enforcement officers, investigating and solving crimes in the virtual city just as real police officers do every day.

The game allows for the creation of custom graphics, or “skins”, which can be applied to vehicles and persons.  Royce said that the graphics/skins he created are not publicly shared and that he plays the game in single player mode, not online with others.

Contrary to what Police staff may have been thinking when they asked that the graphics be removed, Royce is actually a big fan of the Champaign Police Department:

“What I have posted is not a harmful/negative depiction of the department itself or anyone associated with the city of Champaign. I honestly love the department and its efforts to prevent crime and police the community.”

Royce said he is even considering joining the Department as a police officer, and he hoped that the Champaign Police Department would take pride in the game graphics he created.

Additional renderings created by Royce are provided below.