FiveM Police Script Troubleshooting — 12 Common Issues & Fixes

Police scripts are among the most complex resources on any FiveM server. They interact with dispatch, inventory, vehicles, database, and NUI systems simultaneously. When something breaks, it can be hard to pinpoint the cause.

This guide covers the 12 most common police script issues we see across QBCore, ESX, and QBOX servers, with tested solutions for each.

1. MDT Not Opening

Symptoms and first checks

Symptoms: Pressing the MDT keybind does nothing, or opens a blank screen.

Fix checklist:

• Verify the MDT resource is started: type ensure [mdt-resource] in server console
• Check for dependency errors in console (missing dispatch, framework bridge, etc.)
• Press F8 in-game and look for NUI errors
• If using a web-based MDT, run npm install or yarn in the resource folder
• Check keybind conflicts with RegisterKeyMapping in other resources

2. Dispatch Alerts Not Sending

Symptoms and first checks

Symptoms: Officers don't receive call notifications when crimes occur.

Fix checklist:

• Ensure dispatch resource is running and the correct version for your MDT
• Check that triggering resources use the correct event names
• Verify framework bridge: QBCore dispatch events differ from ESX
• Test with a manual dispatch trigger: /dispatch test or equivalent command

3. Cuffing Not Working

Symptoms and first checks

Symptoms: Can't cuff or uncuff players, animation plays but nothing happens.

Fix checklist:

• Check if the cuff item exists in your inventory system
• Verify the interaction distance in config (default is usually 2.0-3.0)
• Update qb-smallresources or esx_policejob to latest version
• Check for conflicting interaction scripts (qb-target vs ox_target)

4. Evidence System Not Saving

Symptoms and first checks

Symptoms: Evidence markers disappear on server restart or aren't visible to other officers.

Fix checklist:

-- Check if evidence tables exist
SHOW TABLES LIKE '%evidence%';

-- If missing, import the SQL file from your evidence resource
-- Usually found in: resources/[police]/[evidence-script]/sql/

• Verify database credentials in the resource config
• Check server console for SQL errors during evidence placement

5. Police Vehicles Not Spawning

Symptoms and first checks

Symptoms: Garage shows vehicles but they won't spawn, or spawn as default cars.

Fix checklist:

• Verify vehicle streaming resource is started before police resource
• Check vehicle model names match exactly (case-sensitive)
• Test model in-game: /spawn [modelname] to verify it exists
• If custom vehicles: ensure fxmanifest.lua includes all required files

6. Job Not Paying

Symptoms and first checks

Symptoms: Officers complete duties but don't receive salary or task payments.

Fix checklist:

• Check payment amounts in job config (some use cents, others whole numbers)
• Verify job grade names match between framework config and police script
• For ESX: check the jobs database table for correct salary values
• For QBCore: check shared/jobs.lua for correct payment fields
• Test with console: trigger the payment event manually

7. Radar/Speed Camera Issues

Symptoms and first checks

Symptoms: Radar doesn't detect vehicles or shows wrong speeds.

Fix checklist:

• Ensure radar resource version matches your framework
• Check that radar prop models are streamed
• Verify vehicle class restrictions in config (some radars ignore certain classes)
• For wraith radar: update to latest version, check compatibility notes

8. Armory Not Giving Weapons

Symptoms and first checks

Symptoms: Selecting weapons in armory UI does nothing.

Fix checklist:

• Weapon hash names differ between frameworks. QBCore: WEAPON_PISTOL, ESX may use weapon_pistol
• Check your inventory system supports the weapon items
• Verify armory config weapon list matches available weapons
• Check server console for "item not found" errors

9. Police Garage Empty

Symptoms and first checks

Symptoms: Garage menu shows but no vehicles listed.

Fix checklist:

• Check garage config for vehicle list (some scripts use config, others use database)
• Verify the police job grade has access to the vehicles
• For database-driven garages: check the vehicle table for entries with the police job

10. MDT Black/White Screen

Symptoms and first checks

Symptoms: MDT opens but shows blank white or black screen.

Fix checklist:

# Navigate to MDT resource and install dependencies
cd resources/[police]/[mdt-resource]
npm install
# or
yarn install

• Clear FiveM cache: delete %localappdata%/FiveM/FiveM.app/data/cache
• Check NUI manifest: ui_page must point to correct HTML file
• Press F8 for JavaScript console errors

11. Jail Script Not Releasing

Symptoms and first checks

Symptoms: Players remain jailed after timer expires.

Fix checklist:

• Check jail database table for stuck entries
• Verify time format (minutes vs seconds vs milliseconds)
• Some jail scripts require a restart to process releases — check if a cron/timer is running
• Manual release: use admin command or update database directly

12. Wrong Alert Locations

Symptoms and first checks

Symptoms: Dispatch alerts point officers to wrong locations.

Fix checklist:

• Verify coordinate format: vector3(x, y, z) vs {x = x, y = y, z = z}
• Check if the dispatch event receives live player coordinates or hardcoded ones
• Update dispatch integration — older versions may cache coordinates

Prevention Tips

Keep police resources stable over time

1. Version match — Keep MDT, dispatch, and police job scripts at compatible versions
2. Test updates on staging — Never update police scripts on a live server without testing
3. Check dependencies — Police scripts often need 3-5 other resources to function
4. Read changelogs — Breaking changes are usually documented

Recommended Police Scripts

Looking for reliable, tested police scripts? Browse our curated collection:

• Police & LEA Scripts — MDT, dispatch, evidence, radar systems
• QBCore Police Scripts — QBCore-optimized police resources
• ESX Police Scripts — ESX-compatible police systems