Arrest

Arrests were first introduced in The Sims Bustin' Out for GBA and later appeared in The Urbz and all console versions of The Sims 2 (Except the PSP). Arrests first appeared in Windows and Mac OS X with The Sims 3 and The Sims Medieval. Depending on the game, the Sim will be sent to Jail or the stocks.

The Sims Bustin' Out, The Urbz: Sims in the City and The Sims 2
Arrests are different between Bustin' Out, The Urbz and The Sims 2. When arrested, Det. Dan D. Mann or Honest Jackson will say the player is busted and the player is arrested.

In The Sims Bustin' Out, the Sim will be sent to jail when arrested and the player will have to wait 8 hours. The player can get out of jail by paying a §100 fine. After 8 hours has passed or if the player pays the fine, the Sim will be released.

In The Urbz: Sims in the City, arrests function similarly to Bustin' Out except that waiting 8 hours or paying the fine does not teleport the player outside the Jail. The player will not be arrested in the player's home or inside Jail. If the player dies (Passes out), the player will still be in Jail rather than the Hospital.

In these games, Det. Dan D. Mann will say the player is busted.

In The Sims 2 for GBA, the player can be arrested and will be sent to Jail. As in The Urbz, the player can pay a fine to get out of Jail. Otherwise, the player must wait.

In the DS version however, the player will be fined §200 and be released. If the player has less than §200, the player will be released anyway where in The Urbz: Sims in the City and the GBA games, the player will have to "Do time" in jail.

Sims can be arrested for doing the following:
 * Running out of Bladder or Sanity (if the Toilet is displayed).
 * Not paying bills.
 * Answering a phone call from Daddy Bigbucks
 * Running after exiting the Bayou for the first time, before Running from the law is completed.
 * Trying to break into Kent's Warehouse and setting off an alarm in The Sims 2 for GBA.

The Sims 3
When a Sim is working in the criminal career, the Sim has a chance of being arrested. When this occurs, the player will be brought to the Jail where the Sim is held. The player can choose their tones while at the Jail. Like detention, it can be a problem if the Sim is a Workaholic. Items are confiscated when the Sim is in jail and are returned when they are released. Unlike the Handheld games, a fine cannot be paid to get out of jail.

Teens can also get arrested and be taken home when they're out of curfew, giving them the 'Caught after Curfew' moodlet. In The Sims 3: Generations, when a Teen pulls a prank in the school building, there is a chance that he/she will be arrested and taken home, and gives the 'Caught Pranking' moodlet. Then, one of the parents will lecture them, and they will be grounded.

In Late Night and Supernatural, vampires run the risk of getting arrested if they attempt to raid either plasma fruit or juice at the grocery, or raiding the hospital for plasma.

In University Life, Sims can be caught and arrested for making street art or streaking.

The Sims Medieval
Arrests are different in Medieval than they are in The Sims 3. Whenever a Sim is marked for arrest, the constable will come and a message "Uh-oh, it looks like Sim's name is in trouble! The constable is coming to arrest him/her!". Depending on the action, the message may be different such as "Uh-oh, it looks like Sim's name is in trouble for stealing! The constable is coming to arrest him/her!" if a Spy was caught stealing. The Sim will be sent to the Stocks and will have to wait 3 hours; The Monarch can release the Sim from the Stocks and the Spy can free them as well. Unlike The Sims 3 and The Sims 3 for Consoles, items are not taken away when a Sim is arrested. Sometimes, doing some quest objectives will cause the player to be arrested.