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    LEGO 10278 Police Station revealed as the 2021 Modular Building!

    November 28, 2020 | 42

    Stop in the name of the law… and check out the new 2021 LEGO modular building – 10278 Police Station!

    Update: Be sure to read my review of 10278 Modular Police Station to see more photos, and see what I thought of the set!

    For years, LEGO’s beloved modular street has been relatively crime-free, but it now seems like LEGO City’s crime problems has begun spilling over, creating the need for some good old law enforcement from the boys in blue.

    The 2,923 piece LEGO Police Station has a release date of 1 January 2021, and will be available from LEGO.com and LEGO Retail Stores for the price of US$199.99 / AU$299.99.

    See below for regional pricing and links:

    Here’s a look at the box, which has now been treated with the bland LEGO 18+ “black label” design, which I think is a little stark, and doesn’t quite work with the Modular Buildings, which usually have a brighter and lighter tone to them.

    And no, you do not need to be 18 years or older to build this set.

    This is the first Modular building without the LEGO Creator Expert label (which is all but dead now) and I can’t help but feel a tinge of sadness that such iconic branding is now gone.

    What I do like is this new LEGO Modular Buildings Collection logo, which is pretty neat with the thin gold outlines of (L-R) the Corner Garage, Assembly Square, Downtown Diner, Bookshop and now the Police Station which represents all the current active modulars.

    Hiding a wealth of features behind its impressive facade, the eye-catching new model consists of three floors and a modular structure that allows LEGO fans to fully explore the intricate interiors and increase the building’s height.

    The set measures 37cm (14.5″) high, 25cm (10″) wide and 25cm (10″) deep.

    The Police Station is the clear centrepiece, and conveniently has a Doughtnut Shop (which is so on the nose) attached, because why not.

    The tan facade has a very classical New York architecture style, and I was reminded of the Brooklyn 99 building facade.

    Designed as a centrepiece to a bustling LEGO neighbourhood, the LEGO Police Station also comes complete with a donut shop brimming with sweet treats and a newspaper kiosk, as well as five minifigures including a 1940s-inspired police officer for ample storytelling possibilities.

    The most legit Police Officer is the guy with the awesome stache.

    The LEGO Police Station Modular building has three levels.

    Adding further architectural interest, the outside is decorated with brightly coloured awnings and ornate cornicing.

    The feature-packed floors of the LEGO Police Station are filled with secret surprises and delights for true-crime fans. On building the set, it soon becomes apparent that a mystery donut thief is on the loose.

    Naturally, the LEGO Police Station is fully equipped to tackle even the most sugary-sweet of crimes, with an evidence locker, jail cell, interrogation room and case board with red lines connecting all the clues.

    Inside, all levels are connected by a grand staircase and are stocked with uniquely designed pieces including a billboard, telephone and a typewriter.

    The ultimate Easter Eggs and clues to solving the mystery of the Donut thief come in the form of a hidden escape route beneath the jail cell and a secret access route to the Donut shop.

    I can’t wait to explore the Modular Police Station and discover all the little nods, but my favourite has to be this massive Laundy Billboard attached to the site of the Police Station.

    I believe it’s a nod to the Laundry in the Brick Bank modular, which was literally used to launder money!

    Overall, I think it’s a fantastic looking modular. I really love the colours, with the purple and green injecting a much-needed pop of colour to the Police Station, and the architectural details are arguably one of the best with plenty of cool details, such as the use reverse jumper plates on the facade.

    Also, this ivy running down the side of the Police Station is just sublime.

    LEGO Modular Fans are in for a treat with the LEGO Police Station, and I think it will be exceedingly popular come 1 January 2021 when it releases.

    I’ll be reviewing the set soon, so I look forward to giving you a more intimate tour of the Police Station in a couple of weeks!

    Lastly, and this is just my personal opinion, but I feel like a Police Station has the potential to cause a bit of controversy, especially in the USA where police brutality and violence has been a flashpoint issue in 2020 (among other things). It just feels a little too close to it, and while I’m sober enough to tell the difference, I just feel like the timing is a little too close.

    Update: To expand on my thoughts above, I’ll paste what I wrote as a comment for more context. Huge thank you to everyone that has been very civil and measured with the dialogue and discussion!

    It’s hard not to look at what’s going on in the US and wonder if the optics of this would be right for the moment we live in. Granted tensions have simmered down, but to many people (especially those in marginalised communities) which have been moved/affected by the impact of Black Lives Matter – it could bring up some uncomfortable emotions.

    Not knocking the design at all, which I think is brilliant – it’s just the timing of it all. That said, LEGO plans production and set releases often years in advance, so their hands might be tied in this case.

    That’s just my 2 cents as it could potentially get out of hand for LEGO if more vocal people get wind of this and misconstrue the set release, and blow it out of proportions (as it often happens on the internet), and the last thing I want is for LEGO to prematurely pull this set off the shelves, and we get the Technic Osprey all over again.

    The LEGO Modular Police Station will be released on 1 January 2021, and will be available from LEGO.com.

    Check out more lifestyle photos below in this gallery

    What do you think of LEGO 10278 Police Station? For all you modular fans, are you excited to add the Police Station to your street? Let me know what you think in the comments section!

    Don’t forget, you can find many more reviews in the Jay’s Brick Blog Review Hub. If you’re using Google News, be sure to follow me and add Jay’s Brick Blog to your reading lists.

    To stay up to date on the latest posts, you can follow the Jay’s Brick Blog Facebook page or subscribe to receive email alerts for new posts!

    I also post behind the scenes content, and teasers on my Instagram page @jayong28, and also make videos on Youtube, so I’d appreciate a subscribe!

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    42 responses to “LEGO 10278 Police Station revealed as the 2021 Modular Building!”

    1. Derek Rodriguez says:
      December 28, 2020 at 3:17 PM

      I think it’s noble and proper for Lego to release this set despite what has gone on this past year. Fact is more than 800,000 police officers go to work every day without abusing anyone, but that’s not a headline.
      The timing of this release should serve as a reminder to all that demonizing all of a group for the actions of a few makes zero sense whether you’re talking about a race or a profession. Good on Lego for maintaining perspective.
      I can’t wait to build this set!

      Reply
    2. Stephanie Ross says:
      December 14, 2020 at 4:08 PM

      I’m excited to add the Police Station to my modular collection, and it looks great – full of all the quirky details we’ve come to love with these sets.
      In my opinion there is one HUGE item missing. Where is the cop car???

      Reply
      • Al kocka Miller says:
        December 14, 2020 at 10:47 PM

        I know right?! Lucky i already built a 50s police cruiser and i think it’ll go great with it. If you want I can send some pics for inspiration 😛

        Reply
        • Stephanie says:
          December 22, 2020 at 9:09 PM

          That would be great. I’d love to see your police cruiser!

          Reply
          • Al kocka Miller says:
            December 23, 2020 at 12:27 AM

            https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=17EOakmlEVCPaoNO0ZVwNc8JOgid-pGEY
            This should lead to my police cruiser file, i hope the pictures suffice. The scale is a bit off, it’s six wide but a bit too tall, thought it’s not too noticable unless next to the others. I wanted to make it a distinct car, different from the diner car. I also wanted it to hold a perp, but that cost me the inclusion of a back window. The doors open, i used some old lego city stickers for details. I’m proud of the red light on top, it ended up the most accurate detail. The roof seems a bit low, with the chair. I also focused on adding tiny details like the grid between the back and front seats, i hope it shows on pictures. The back wheels are sort of cheating, i used the small wheels with the pin hole instead of lego city wheels, so i could get the covers. Would love to see if anyone manages to make a similar make, but less bulky🙃

            Reply
            • Steph says:
              January 5, 2021 at 3:36 PM

              Thanks for sharing the pics of your police cruiser.
              I can see your issues but it looks great given your constraints 👍

              Reply
              • Al kocka Miller says:
                January 5, 2021 at 8:55 PM

                Thanks. Hope it helps inspire🙂 i do wonder how they’d make it, i assume they’d go with a design similar to the pink car only with a built up roof might give that a go home day, but i need to get the necessary pieces first.

                Reply
      • Jay says:
        December 16, 2020 at 9:02 AM

        Yes to the cop car! I guess there’s nowhere to park one?

        Reply
        • Al kocka Miller says:
          December 23, 2020 at 12:38 AM

          Unfortunately not😅 I’d make a modular worthy parking lot next to the station, but I’m already working overtime designing a city that works well with my current space constraints😅

          Reply
    3. The Doc says:
      December 14, 2020 at 10:44 AM

      I don’t mean to be rude, but why would anyone link real life matters with a toy? Yes, what’s going on in the US needs to be addressed, but it does not need to influences ones choice of toys. Maybe some of us have enough of a brain to distinguish the real world from the fantasy world. For some of us, Lego serves as an escape from the nonsense of the world we live in. Let’s keep it fun, let’s keep it about the toy. Don’t ruin a great toy with political garbage. If you don’t like it, don’t buy it. Simple. Well done, Lego – this set looks fantastic! It’s hardly the fault of thr designers at Lego. Let’s support our brace, hard-working police officers for a change. Not all cops are bad guys, so get that clear!

      Reply
      • Jay says:
        December 16, 2020 at 8:59 AM

        Hey Doc, I only made that observation due to all that stuff that happened in the US and worldwide earlier this year. In fact, LEGO got a bit of heat when they mistakenly requested advertisers not promote Police City sets during the height of the tensions, so it’s not something that’s completely left field.

        I do agree that for many people, LEGO can and is a form of escapism from all the politics and troubles of the world.

        And yes, it’s a really fantastic set – I’m currently building it and it’s been great!

        Reply
    4. Al "kocka" Miller says:
      December 2, 2020 at 2:08 AM

      While I do agree with may people’s viewpoints on the release being potentially bad optics in the US, i would like to add that Lego, especially the Lego modular theme, has always wanted to present a unreal, discrimination, violence and substance abuse free image of the past it’s replicating. It’s not meant to be taken seriously, which is why the bootleggers are smuggling cookies, there is no whites only sign in the 50s dinner and why the police are stealing doughnuts. I do believe there is a time and a place for such discussion but it’s not with Lego. Furthermore, i doubt I’d consider Lego pulling their obnoxious Lego City adds in the time of such a tragedy to be considered them moving away from police as much as just reading the room. I think a good example of them reading the room for this modular is there being no billy clubs given to these 1940s inspired policemen. This is in all honesty a relatively minor release outside of the AFoL community, and one that many, me included have been waiting on for years. If you don’t want police in your city you wouldn’t buy it even if it came out three years after this and i believe as adults we should all be allowed to make our own decisions, and vote with our wallets not get a set pulled due to upset from people who weren’t interested in buying a police station set to begin with. That being said, it’s an awful thing that happened and has been happening for a while now, the conversation shouldn’t be left to die down, but this shouldn’t be a part of it and ignoring a part of life won’t make it go away. The way I see it, this set isn’t even promoting a story of hero cops, but of cops who are struggling to catch a man stealing doughnuts from the apartment nextdoor, which sounds like an SNL Sketch. It’s about as far away from the lego city narrative as they can get, maybe we should focus on that. They might be the centerpiece of this set, but its wrong to say they’re necessarily the heroes.

      Reply
      • Jay says:
        December 2, 2020 at 11:11 PM

        Hey Al, thanks for sharing your thoughts, and I completely agree that where possible, LEGO needs to be taken at face value.

        2020, and the internet continues to be as divisive as ever, hence the musing about the potential fallout if this were to get taken out of context by the more vocal parts of the community.

        I think the one takeaway is that these cops are doing the purest form of police work – helping the community and busting doughnut syndicates 🙂 I also love that there are no weapons, or any hint of “conflict” in this set.

        Thanks for weighing in, your opinion is much appreciated and welcome!

        Reply
    5. Andy says:
      December 1, 2020 at 7:26 AM

      I recently revisited my classic Police Town Lego with my Daughter and built my old 6386 Police Command Base from the 1980s for us both to play with.

      I’ve never bought a modular, but this one really does tickle my fancy – Not only because of the nostalgia for my old Police lego sets, but it also looks absolutely fantastic!

      Reply
    6. Anthony says:
      November 30, 2020 at 9:55 AM

      Not a day 1 purchase – but will definitely be added to my city.

      A worthy replacement to my existing police station.

      But where’s the police helicopter ? ???

      Don’t like the box – kinda discouraging to kids who like to build with their parents. But in my house boxes go to the recycle bin….

      Reply
    7. Kaktusiarz says:
      November 30, 2020 at 8:26 AM

      It is really sad that LEGO decided to resign from the Creator Expert for this set.
      However I enjoy the new prefessional style of the boxes (like in the 10277 – Crocodille Locomotive and the 10273 – Hounted House) but in this case it is incredibly wrong and does not fit to the modular building series at all. I have no idea how the designers couldn’t see that.

      Reply
    8. RaeChel says:
      November 29, 2020 at 1:32 PM

      Thank you for your personal opinion here. I don’t often comment on stuff like this, but I live in Minneapolis, and I have a 4-year-old son who has been asking a LOT of questions about police this past year, and unfortunately neither my husband nor I have been able to give him great answers, either.

      Normally I’d completely agree with others here; ignore it, it’s a toy (or a collector’s item), not a political statement. It’s obvious LEGO had this all planned years in advance and to try to change that now would be disastrous. But since my son now builds with me, and helps make up the stories and asks lots of questions, I just can’t in good conscience buy this set. Not this next year. Not right now.

      Thanks for voicing your opinion, I had the same hesitation upon learning this was the 2021 release.

      Reply
      • Jay says:
        November 29, 2020 at 6:48 PM

        Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this, especially since you’re so close to it. As someone from the outside looking into America, it’s often quite puzzling, and with so much that has gone on this year, my thoughts are really with you guys.

        It is really hard, and LEGO have done a lot of amazing work donating to various social causes this year, so credit to them, but it does feel a little odd considering all that’s transpired this year.

        Reply
    9. Jeff Cooper says:
      November 29, 2020 at 10:29 AM

      The more police the better. THis is a good modular but feels more like a Mould King set

      Reply
    10. Jason B says:
      November 29, 2020 at 7:51 AM

      A police station isn’t a positive theme? Wow. Someboday wake me up. It’s a LEGO set, not the next political campaign statement. Any modular building should be welcome.

      And some of you want a school? Why? If it was accurate…you’d get an EMPTY building with no minifigures in it.

      Let’s keep politics out of fun in 2021.

      Peace. I guess.

      Reply
      • Mark P says:
        November 29, 2020 at 12:19 PM

        Lol, calm down. People are entitled to different opinions to you.
        There are people who want a school. Let them want a school!
        I hope you find a sense of calm and happiness soon.

        Reply
      • Jay says:
        November 29, 2020 at 11:51 PM

        Sorry if it came across as making an overtly political statement, I definitely didn’t mean to offend.

        The reason I made that comment, was due to all the press that LEGO received this year for pulling advertising of police sets which received worldwide coverage: https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2020/06/04/lego-police-white-house-product-ads-us-tensions/3148197001/

        It’s hard not to look at what’s going on in the US and wonder if the optics of this would be right for the moment we live in. Granted tensions have simmered down, but to many people (especially those in marginalised communities) which have been moved/affected by the impact of Black Lives Matter – it could bring up some uncomfortable emotions.

        Not knocking the design at all, which I think is brilliant – it’s just the timing of it all. That said, LEGO plans production and set releases often years in advance, so their hands might be tied in this case.

        Reply
    11. Simon Boye says:
      November 29, 2020 at 12:55 AM

      Hello,

      Great review. I must admit I think we must all stop connecting absolutely everything to some political agenda. I am as much as anybody for all must be treated equally. But seriously people, this is a Lego set, a company primarily targeting kids, although not with this set. I am an AFOL as well, but if we keep forcing connection between things where there is none is going to be a great downfall and only make more separation in societies. Pull it together, the police is here to handle the law and protect the people. And now when USA have issues with law enforcement , Lego should attend to that? Confirming that all police people are bad?
      Many countries have far worse law enforcement than a western country like USA, and Lego do sell products these countries too. This have to stop

      All the best

      Simon and thanks for great site

      Reply
      • Vector says:
        November 29, 2020 at 7:03 AM

        Well, Lego DOES have a huge audience in the US, and they even pulled advertising for police sets earlier this year explicitly in the wake of police brutality! It’s no wonder why everyone here raised an eyebrow at this set being released in the same year. Lego themselves made the statement!

        If they had pushed back this modular another year to let things settle, I don’t think there would have been many issues, besides modular fans being annoyed at no modular.

        Reply
        • Mike says:
          November 29, 2020 at 9:54 PM

          @Simon, couldn’t agree with you more – to connect a bunch of plastic bricks that happen to make a police station to the issues created by a disgraceful bigot is just not logical. We have to have a world where simple things can be taken on face value and not deemed as some political statement. I’m all for fairness and equality in society but we have all gone absolutely PC mad in the last couple of years and this is another example of it.

          @Jay, appreciate your concern but in this case (in my opinion) I think it was unnecessary to bring it up. Each to their own though.

          Reply
          • Simon says:
            November 30, 2020 at 7:23 AM

            @Mark, same to you, with the things you added.

            Just to give an example of how I see this issue, only to highlight what I think might be the result of this culture in the future :). Take a look at Fionas post, she didn’t realize this release had a political nature before we started talking about or Jay mentioned it. Of course Fiona could have millions of reasons to not think of it this way, just an example. I really did not intend to point fingers at anybody, hope you know it was only to make something go along with my point @Fiona 🙂

            Thanks for having a great discussion without anyone being rude, rare these days 😉

            All the best

            Simon

            Reply
            • Mark P says:
              November 30, 2020 at 8:58 AM

              Hey mate, interesting thought! I think 2020 had forced a lot of people to rethink their business, and Lego is not immune. They showed their hand with halting some advertising of Lego Police in the wake of the riots, which has a lot of the community wondering why they then made this decision. I certainly don’t think kids toys should be a place for political statements, but it is curious that their grand release for the year should be none other than a police station.
              I can’t imagine it’ll affect their sales numbers, so no worries there, it’s just a little incongruous!
              Have an excellent day!

              Reply
      • Jay says:
        November 30, 2020 at 12:00 AM

        Hey Simon, thanks for sharing your thoughts!

        Here’s what I wrote to another reader who felt the same:

        Sorry if it came across as making an overtly political statement, I definitely didn’t mean to offend.

        The reason I made that comment, was due to all the press that LEGO received this year for pulling advertising of police sets which received worldwide coverage: https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2020/06/04/lego-police-white-house-product-ads-us-tensions/3148197001/

        It’s hard not to look at what’s going on in the US and wonder if the optics of this would be right for the moment we live in. Granted tensions have simmered down, but to many people (especially those in marginalised communities) which have been moved/affected by the impact of Black Lives Matter – it could bring up some uncomfortable emotions.

        Not knocking the design at all, which I think is brilliant – it’s just the timing of it all. That said, LEGO plans production and set releases often years in advance, so their hands might be tied in this case.

        That’s just my 2 cents as it could potentially get out of hand for LEGO if more vocal people get wind of this and misconstrue the set release, and blow it out of proportions (as it often happens on the internet), and the last thing I want is for LEGO to prematurely pull this set off the shelves, and we get the Technic Osprey all over again.

        Reply
        • Simon says:
          November 30, 2020 at 7:10 AM

          Hi Jay,

          No worries, I don’t condemn your choice to bring it up, it is all up to each of us how we view the world 🙂 And i definitely think that you only bring it because you are a thoughtful individual, as i said i really enjoy your blog. I just see it as, as long as we keep mentioning it the same sentences, we keep enhancing the issues or maybe even creating some. And in some instances maybe adding to the sepration in societies instead of enhancing solution and positive work aimed at solving various problems. Not to say we are creating problems here at your great blog, but in the larger scale of things. Personally i believe these issues are handled better in enviroments where the issue is the main subject of resolvement.

          @Vector
          I agree with you that the US, is a major market. But i don’t think Lego should take stance on these matters when it is about some things that are completely out of their hands. And to be honest I think the police is there to stay, and Lego isn’t the one who should change the police for the better. If people in the states think it is wrong to buy the police lego for their kids in these times, dont, Lego will lose money, the us police wont 🙂

          Reply
    12. Fiona says:
      November 28, 2020 at 9:13 AM

      Gee I hadn’t considered the political nature of this set. I do hope it doesn’t cause any problems…. as others have said, it would have been a great idea to have a museum or library for 2021.

      Nonetheless, I love this set -particularly the design of the building and the donut shop. And how good are the typewriter and telephone?!

      Reply
      • Jay says:
        November 30, 2020 at 12:01 AM

        Yeah, I’m just hoping that it doesn’t potentially turn into Osprey 2.0. A Hospital would be really nice too, and a great gesture to acknowledge all the heroic health in the midst of a pandemic. Maybe next year!

        Reply
        • Mark P says:
          November 30, 2020 at 7:10 AM

          Hey Jay, you’ve mentioned the Osprey a couple of times in comments. Do you think it was actually cancelled due to societal pressure? It seemed like a pretty fundamentally flawed set. I still think it got cancelled because they knew everyone’s would break, and used some random tiny outrage as an excuse…!

          Reply
    13. Ellie says:
      November 28, 2020 at 7:46 AM

      Looks like a great set (although as others have said I would prefer something more positive – a museum would be amazing). I absolutely take your point about it being strange that they’ve gone with a Police Station given the kind of year it’s been (and the fact that Lego themselves actually paused all advertising of their police sets earlier this year). I can only assume that decisions and planning on what the modular will be start quite far in advance and this one was too far along to pull. Having said all of that, I’ll still get it 🙂

      Reply
      • Jay says:
        November 30, 2020 at 12:04 AM

        A natural history museum would be a dream come true, especially if modelled after the New York one!

        Large marque LEGO sets like Modulars tend to get planned and go intro production years in advance, so I guess BLM this year happened too late for LEGO to pull the plug.

        I just hope it doesn’t get Osprey’d as it would be a shame for such a gorgeous design, so fingers crossed no one blows this out of proportion!

        Reply
    14. Mark P says:
      November 28, 2020 at 7:02 AM

      Yay! I feel like the afol community has been asking for utility buildings for ages. Hospital, library, cop shop, school, etc.
      I would’ve much preferred a building with a positive theme (library or school or something), but can’t complain about the playability of this one.

      Reply
    15. Hans Fangel says:
      November 28, 2020 at 4:28 AM

      Thanks again! I am so looking forward to this. The ordering of the modular has been a chore before i go to bed every new years eve, and this – rather next – year will be no exception.

      Next thing to look forwars to is your christmas calendar openings in December.

      Stay safe, and thank you Jay!

      Reply
      • Jay says:
        November 30, 2020 at 12:05 AM

        That’s such a great tradition to have, and a great way to start the year!

        Only 2 more days to Advent season!

        Hope you and your family are keeping safe and doing well!

        Reply

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