City

Police Mobile Crime Lab Truck

A cops-and-crooks playset that opens into a whole detective HQ on wheels.

Brick Rated Score

4.0/5

Set 60418 · 2024

Pieces674

Minifigs5

Year2024

Set number60418

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The verdict

The moment this truck folds open into a two-level forensics lab, I understood exactly why kids fall for it.

It packs a genuine little crime scene, a mobile jail cell, a quad bike, and five minifigures into one box that plays far bigger than its footprint. The sticker-heavy interior and a slightly hollow cab keep it from greatness, but as a City police set that actually invites storytelling, it earns its keep. I would hand this to any 7-to-10-year-old who likes a good chase.

Best for: Kids 7-10 who want a cops-and-robbers playset with real detective drama

The full review

What it is

The Police Mobile Crime Lab Truck is a 674-piece City set from early 2024, and the whole idea lives in one satisfying motion. You build what looks like an ordinary box truck, then the sides swing open and it becomes a full detective headquarters on wheels. Inside there are two levels: a lower workspace with a coffee machine and a holding cell, and an upper lab with CCTV screens, a microscope, a magnifying glass, and a wall map for tracking the crooks. There is also a separate forensic scene to investigate and a quad bike for the bad guys to make their getaway. The truck is what got me, because it manages to feel like a real vehicle and a play environment at the same time, and that dual trick is exactly what younger builders want.

The catch

I will be straight with you about the caveats. This is a sticker-heavy set, and a lot of the lab detail that looks so rich in photos comes from decals rather than printed tiles, which means careful application matters and the polish depends partly on your steady hand. The cab exterior is also fairly plain once you have seen the interior, so the outside never quite matches the drama inside. And while the piece count reads generous, this is a mid-price play set, not a technique showcase, so anyone hunting for clever engineering or a display trophy should set expectations accordingly. None of that sinks it, but it is the difference between a very good set and a truly special one.

Who it's for

So this one is easy to place. If you are shopping for a kid roughly 7 to 10 who loves a cops-and-robbers chase, this is one of the best value plays in the City police lineup, with five minifigures, a proper storyline built in, and a truck that survives rough handling. Parents and grandparents who want a gift that gets played with for months rather than displayed for a week will be very happy here. If you are an adult collector who wants a slick model for the shelf or a bag of rare recolors to raid, this is not your set, and that is fine. It knows exactly who it is for and it delivers.

The parts story

What the build is actually like, and the pieces worth knowing about.

The build runs about one to two hours and is paced beautifully for a newer builder, which is squarely who LEGO aimed it at with the 7-plus age mark. You start with the chassis and cab, then move into the folding interior, and the opening mechanism is the clever bit that keeps things interesting: hinges and clips let the whole body split apart cleanly and snap back together, so the reward comes right at the end when the truck transforms. The quad bike is a quick, fun sub-build that gives the crooks their own moment. It never gets fiddly or frustrating, which is exactly what you want for this audience.

On parts, this is a play set rather than a parts pack, and it wears that honestly. Most of the interior atmosphere comes from stickers rather than printed elements, so do not go in expecting a haul of printed tiles. Where it shines is the minifigure selection: five figures including a forensic scientist in a lab coat, a hooded hacker, a prisoner in a striped jumpsuit, and two police officers, with four of the five unique to this set at release. Those crook and forensics faces are the real collectible pull here. The rest is dependable City stock in useful police colors, which makes it a solid, affordable donor box for anyone building out a wider city.

Fun facts

01The set was designed by LEGO's Leon Pijnenburg and released on January 1, 2024, at a retail price of 54.99 dollars.
02Four of the five minifigures, including the forensic scientist, the hacker, and the prisoner, were unique to this set when it launched.
03The truck opens into two separate levels, a lower cell and workspace and an upper forensics lab, complete with a coffee machine, a microscope, and CCTV screens.
04With the set now retired, sealed copies have traded well above the original 55 dollar price on the secondary market.