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This Sim is the suspect. Thankfully, the Detective won't have to see the daughter's reaction.
The Sims 4 Get to Work features the ability to play Detective. In this Active Career track, you will gradually gain more freedom to pursue solving cases and get promotions. In this guide, I'll discuss some of the activities these law enforcers can pursue while on the job, and the best methods to completing cases and locking up suspects.
How to: Detective Career Cheats
Press Control + Shift + C then type testingcheats on and press enter. You can now get promotions with careers.promote detective - you can also see all Career Cheats or visit a full list of Cheats in The Sims 4.
Cop Promotions come with a lot of jail objects, allowing you to make your own in-home prison. Career Rewards don't offer Focused auras. They just make your home look like work.
Much of what I have to say relates to the Career after level 4, when a Sim is expected to start solving cases on their own. You can find a partial list of career objectives below and how to complete them. After the first level, you will make more progress on a case and get to arrest your first suspect. At level 3, you're expected to interrogate them. For these first three levels, follow the instructions and try to complete as many objectives as possible while in the Ideal Mood of Focused. After you secure your first confession, you will have level 4's 'Solve one case' complete and be ready to solve more.
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The Crime Map lets your Detective go on patrol, head to crime scenes, and issue APBs to arrest suspects
Recommended Traits and Rewards
The Genius Trait is helpful, since it makes Sims Focused at random which may happen at a good time. So is Good, because it gives a Happy Moodlet whenever a Sim nearby is in a positive mood, and they usually are. Detectives benefit greatly from learning Sims' Traits. This means that the Observant Reward (500 Points) is super helpful to Detectives. They'll know Traits right away when meeting a Sim. Other factors for making an arrest are on you - assessing a Sim's physical appearance should they fit the bill. Take Entrepreneurial for 2,000 points whenever you have them to spare, and it will help you to get promoted much faster so long as you can meet the minimum solved case requirements.
Searching for Clues may yield valuable evidence. Use this in different areas of a lot to reveal gloves, wallets, and other small items that can be photographed and collected
Getting Focused at Work
Use interactions that can get your Sim Focused before heading to a crime scene - like Level 2 Gardening's Research Gardening at Computer, when used with Browse Simpedia is very powerful and may result in Very Focused. Unlock Research Gardening by buying a low level Gardening Skill book, then reading it in your Sim's spare time. You should be able to maintain Focus while at the station. Make lots of Mathematical Diagrams at home, then take them with you to work. This is done when a Sim is Focused and using an easel to paint one. Hang these, enable their emotional auras in places your Sim works - the interrogation room, the evidence analysis room, and where your Sim typically uses the computer. 'View Focused Work' on them before you head out to a crime scene and your Sim will get a nice Focused buff that lasts outside the painting's range.
While patrolling, it's your job to issue citations to Sims who commit crimes
Going on Patrol
This seems to be - aside from office chatter - the lone police task unrelated to the main crimes a Detective must solve, but is something you have to do early on to ensure a promotion. It raises performance a bit, but is overall time consuming. It's better to work on solving cases, as that ultimately determines the promotions in the Detective Career. Do this early when needed to complete the tutorial phase and unlock a promotion, then avoid it when possible. Talk to civilians but look carefully for crimes in progress in order to issue citations.
Getting a witness report provides valuable information to your Detective while filling career performance for the day
Crime Scenes: Clues and Witness Reports
When you first enter a crime scene, pause and assess the situation. Allow objectives to swap for the new situation. You can sometimes tell what objects are involved from where other officers are standing. Look for dirty or damaged objects, as well as things out of place on the floor. Click the ground to get 'radar' on where nearby clues are located. Objects of interest will appear, such as gloves and shoes. First take photos, collect as many clues as you can, then talk to the witnesses. Look to Sims outside on the street once you've talked to every witness in the house - the ones who linger are likely to be witnesses.
You can tell if they have the option to take witness reports when clicking them. Sometimes the game will tell you to get a report from another witness when one can't be found. With the game paused, look for evidence you haven't yet gathered even when it isn't listed as an objective. This will give you more clues, which may be used on later cases (Hah!). From there, return to the station as quickly as you can so that you can complete more work before the shift ends. You should stay on the crime scene lot and complete as many objectives as possible to both raise your performance and simultaneously give you more clues for later, when you will need to issue an APB and make an arrest. The more clues you have, the less chance there is you have arrested the wrong suspect. It will be up to you to find the criminal in the end, so evidence collection is crucial to your performance.
Analyzing Evidence may yield clues that can help you find the suspect. Sometimes it fails. That's why you should gather loads of evidence
Back at the Police Station: Completing Career Objectives
In the later stages of the Career, your main goal is to solve cases. That's what Detectives do! On first arrival at the station, pause the game so that your new objectives have time to roll in. When you have options on what objectives will boost performance, stick with those that are related to your case. Traveling to a new crime scene will actually continue the search for your initial suspect, and the crimes will often be similar. You will get more clues about this mystery Sim by going to a new scene. Use the board and add clues, add information to the database when you're able, and stick to the case! Deduce Clues on the Crime Map to use this ability and sometimes get a new clue. You will need to wait several hours to do it again, but it's worth doing to get that one more trait or physical characteristic about your suspect. Fingerprinting perps and booking them is for cadets and normal officers. Even when you're aspiring to be a detective, this is good advice. Booking suspects takes time, and when it's not part of the crime you're working on, you're not making progress on your case. This is especially true because of the time it takes to move a prisoner from the cell to the booking station. There is a lot of standing around to do while waiting to get them out. It's not worthy of your time unless it's the only objective available.
Clues will help you identify the right Sim for an arrest, once an APB has been issued
In general, pursue objectives related to evidence once you have been assigned a case at the computer. Analyze evidence, cross-reference at the computer, and try to get to the point your Sim can issue an APB.
Issuing an APB
Once enough clues are gathered, you can issue an APB for the suspect. The all points bulletin from the Crime Map object will take you to the scene where a suspect can be arrested.
Making an Arrest: Using the Notebook
While your notification wall will tell you new things you learn about the suspect, you can use your phone's notebook to keep track of all clues for your case. This thing is great, it even tracks gardening plant combos. Click the phone, then notebook via the little icon at the top of the phone screen. That will show you all clues you've figured out, which is handy for making an arrest. Talk to people in that location and ask them about the suspect. People may even point in the direction of your actual perpetrator, but it's possible they are wrong.
One of you hates children, and I know it! Both of these fit the description, but one should have that Trait. That is the one to arrest!
Finding the Suspect
Talk to Sims you think are the suspect, based on the description in your notebook. The suspect is guaranteed to be on that lot. Use the 'Get to Know' interaction to learn a Sim's trait. Use deep conversation and discuss interests to learn more traits when you think you have the right Sim. They'll always be wearing what is described in the evidence. Keep talking to them in a friendly way until you find a couple of traits that match the clues in your notebook. Don't just jump and arrest someone because of a single trait, but make sure they perfectly match the description. An Adult does not mean Young Adult, and vice versa. You want to make sure you're right when you make the arrest. When you're sure, bring them in to the station via the Arrest interaction. Arresting the wrong Sim will waste a lot of your time, so it's a performance hit no matter what.
Good Cop and Bad Cop both have their places in interrogation.
Interrogations
Once back with your suspect, you'll need to interrogate them. Interrogations take place in the appropriately named room, where you get special dialog options while sitting with that Sim. You can choose from Good Cop or Bad Cop routines, or else stick with showing them the evidence. There is bar for the conversation that indicates how far the suspect is from confessing to the crime. Bad Cop and Good Cop both get a special interaction when focused - Pretend to be Friends (Good) and Ask Trick Question (Bad). You can hang a focusing painting here, whether it be a mathematical diagram or space print so that your Sim will stay focused while interrogating.
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A Detective interrogates a suspect who is close to confessing her crimes
Use the suspect's mood to your advantage. If they seem worried, you can 'Describe Horrors of Prison' to play off that. If they're friendly, you can play good cop and gradually bring the meter up. Either way, get the bar to half then start to mix in evidence, but don't bluff it as that may lower the bar. As you gradually raise the bar, show more and more evidence to finish off the interrogation. At the point the bar is full, you can get a confession. When that's done, no matter what objectives you may have, lock them in a cell to close the case.
Leftover Evidence
Once you've completed a case, an exploit of sorts presents itself when you have leftover evidence. This evidence will now pertain to the new case you're assigned to - it's up to you whether you'll use it or discard the items from your Sim's inventory.
Suspects need to be searched sometimes when you're still a low level cop. Get promotions to focus hard on solving cases.
Common Interactions and Where to Do Them
A small selection of the Career Unlocks for Detectives, along with the Chief of Police Uniform. Most everything else is related to the jail - from bars to cold steel toilets.
| Rank | Job | Wages | Schedule | $/Day | Daily Task & Promotion Requirements | Reward for Promotion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cadet | $20/hour | Mon-Fri 8AM-5PM | $180/day | Actively participate in the work day of the Detective (2x) | N/A |
| 2 | Officer | $28/hour | Wed-Sun 8AM-5PM | $252/day | Go to a Crime Scene, Go on Patrol | $160, New Clothes |
| 3 | Corporal | $38/hour | Wed-Sun 9AM-6PM | $342/day | Interrogate a Suspect | $224, Most Modern Cell Towel Rack, Get with the Gloss Metal Shelf, The Lonely Man's Shelf, Cold Steel, Stinkman's Wall Bench, Hard Time Mirror, The Solitary Sleeper, The Impenetrable, Jaded Cell Depository, Holey Door of Holding, Single Serving Justice Dispenser, The Impossible, The "Don't even try" |
| 4 | Detective | $52/hour | Tue-Sat 9AM-6PM | $468/day | Solve Case | $204, No Holds Barred Window, Privacy Glass, Jailbird's Lament, Be Prepared Security Gate, Brushed Metal Double Door |
| 5 | Senior Detective | $78/hour | Tue-Sat 9AM-6PM | $702/day | Solve Cases (2 total) | $416, One-Way Mirror Window, The Attainder, New Clothes |
| 6 | Sergeant | $92/hour | Tue-Sat 9AM-6PM | $828/day | Solve Cases (3 total) | $624, To Serve And Protect Sign, Have You Seen These Lawbreakers?, Don't Go There Caution Barrier, Nice Try Security Camera, The Sim Seal of Solidarity and Strength, Pole of Magnificence |
| 7 | Lieutenant | $123/hour | Mon-Fri 9AM-6PM | $1107/day | Solve Cases (4 total) | $736, Box O' Files, Still Getting Settled Moving Box, Look at Me I'm Important Folders, Regulation Police Drawer, Arctic Kiss Fan, Proceeed with Caution Table Light |
| 8 | Captain | $150/hour | Mon-Fri 9AM-5PM | $1200/day | Solve Cases (5 total) | $984, Mighty Plaque of Honor, Star on The Wall Plaque, Carol and Hubert, Interrogation Illumination, Retro. P.I. Lamp, Up Against the Wall, BluScreen 88D Alert Light, Brightest Night Flood Light, Sims In Uniform Calendar, Slots-a-Lot File-o-Facts |
| 9 | Colonel | $205/hour | Mon-Tue, Thu-Fri 9AM-5PM | $1640/day | Solve Cases (6 total) | $1,200, Seat of Justice, The Sgt. Thompson, Surface Noir, File Cabinet Extraordinnaire, Rectangle with Shelves Bookshelf, File Cabinet Extraordinnaire, Five-O Hallway Table, SentrySec Metal File Cabinet, The Troublemaker Couch, The Unyielding Bench |
| 10 | Chief | $265/hour | Mon-Fri 9AM-5PM | $2120/day | Go to Work! | $1,640, The Regulation Station, Crystalline Bottom Holster, The Chief's Crystal Desk, New Clothes. Also unlocks the Styled Room you can build, "Real Detective Suite" that costs $8,438 |
Expansion Guide
Retail Guide
Retail: Customers and Sales
Retail: Employees and Managing
Retail Perks in Get to Work
Aliens
Baking Skill Guide
Photography Skill Guide
Detective Career
Doctor Career, Diseases and Diagnosing Patients
Scientist Career
Planet Sixam (Alien World)
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The past month, I've spent every day tinkering The Sims 4, making quality of life improvements, gameplay changes, and new difficulty settings for the game. If you'd like to learn more about my project, visit the post on Patreon where you can download it now.
Cottage Living Guide! Here is my guide to new features in the Sims 4 Cottage Living Expansion
You can also find handy Cottage Living Cheats
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Snowy Escape Cheats
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The Sims 4 Eco Lifestyle Guide
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Comments (39)
Just look through a few and see what the requirements are and work towards those as you play your sim. Maybe the more social ones might be the easiest to begin with such as the Public Enemy or Mischief or even the City Native and the Friend of the World. As you could have your sim introduce themselves while they are on patrol or looking at a crime sceen etc.
Here's carl's Guide to take a look: Aspirations
Guide to Cheats
If you want help with normal game play without cheats then reading through the guide above is your best bet. There are various bugs with the detective career but normally saving and quitting your game will sort the majority out. Any bugs you can't solve that way, for example perpetrators not matching the detectives clues, need a developers fix and just need to be played around best as possible.
Two Chiefs Bug Report
Remember though you can always asks sims to change into their everyday outfits under the friendly social 'ask to see .... outfit'.
My sims file deleted and I remade the world so I wanted to know now that my sim is a lieutenant how do I get my sim is have the amount of cases solved as she did in the last world that I had.
No cheat for that so you'll just have to play through the cases again. You can cheat the career levels with the careers cheat but not the number of cases solved.
I don't know if it is a glitch, but when I go to arrest a sim, sometimes the criminal doesn't match the entire description. For example, it will say they are wearing shorts, but they are actually wearing jeans. This has happened multiple times, and they turned out to be the criminal.
Easiest way to deal with this is to ask the Sim you think may be the perp to change into their every day outfit. This can happen for a few reasons, if you have Seasons installed the perp/suspect sims may be wearing their hot/cold outfits. Also the game forces townies into certain outfits for roles that are needed and then the same sims then can become perps/suspects and so then not be wearing the correct everyday outfit which is what the Detective clues are based on.
Wish they had some kind of forensic career path, like how you can choose to be a trainer or a bodybuilder for that career..
Kind of wish they could choose forensics or detective like how they have trainer or bodybuilder :(