As you progress through Resident Evil 2 remake you will be tasked with not only surviving hordes of the undead but completing various puzzles. One of the earliest you encounter involves finding three medallions scattered throughout the Racoon City Police Department. Thankfully, one of these statues can be unlocked very easily and it requires only a small amount of exploration.
Once you enter the RCPD, you’ll go through a linear encounter that involves narrowly escaping death thanks to a fellow survivor. After you speak with Marvin Branagh, head up to the second floor of the Main Hall and approach the lion statue. Remember that notebook one of the cops gave you right before he was torn in half?
Go into your notes and examine the book that this fallen officer left you. On the second page are drawings of three different statues, one of which is the lion. Now all you have to do is match the symbols shown in the drawing with the actual ones on the statue. This will then unlock a hidden compartment in the statue and you will be given the Lion Medallion. The code was Lion Head, Thistle, Bird.
Head down to the first floor and combine this medallion with the massive statue of the woman. Doing so will open up the first part of the secret passageway in the RCPD. Who even hides something like this in a police station?