real cops

The game at some point states that it is the latter, and that Goro brought them into the Metaverse.

@Hibiki
Woah how was he able to bring all of those SWAT guys in?

And nobody questions it.

The game even brings it up way earlier when you activate the Navi and pull Ann in. The Navi seems to pull in everyone in an area, so Goro likely brought them into the Metaverse in advance by having a very big group hug.

...or maybe just taking multiple trips.

They even brought the cars in lmao

It was a big group hug.

Damn

There had to be another person sending the cops in. As Goro was with you the whole time.

I always just assumed it was some of Shido's cronies. Since Shido had access to the Metaverse research, he probably also was able to make copies of the Nav.

@Migrant
Possible.

What a traitor

It's not far off to say the cops were in hiding before the heist.

They even say in game that Goro brought them in in advance though

@Hibiki
Yeah I don't remember it well.


Must've just skipped some dialogue.

Insert Akira nut face here

@Mig

actually I feel as though that would be unlikely. The nav is a thing fake igor created. I don't think anyone ever understood that (in game i mean. akira should know though but... eh, drugs)

With regards to the whole "the Nav brings in anyone in the area" thing, there's kind of a huge inconsistency surrounding that with Kaneshiro's Palace.

It's established with Ann that the Nav pulls in anyone in a close proximity, yet the Phantom Thieves enter Kaneshiro's Palace in the middle of a crowd in broad daylight (Ryuji likens it to "a few pieces of trash disappearing from a trash can").

How the fuck did they not pull in anyone around them at the time?!

@Kala-Nemi
Because plot?

@Kala-Nemi
I have a feeling that Atlus forgot that detail when they were making Kaneshiro's arc.