"All of these kinds of things cost the taxpayer money. The NYPD has not done enough to prevent that. The high payout amount reflects a culture of impunity within the police department, said Jennvine Wong, supervising attorney with Legal Aid's Cop Accountability Unit."
"A spokesperson for the NYPD said many of the incidents at the center of the lawsuits happened more than 20 years ago and don't reflect the current state of policing. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch has taken significant steps to increase accountability and update policies that could create a greater risk of litigation, including regular meetings to review compliance issues like use of force and new restrictions on vehicle pursuits."
"The city routinely settles lawsuits in cases where police officers have done nothing wrong, rather than fighting them in court. Police officers are often not informed of these settlements and have no opportunity to clear their name, said Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Hendry."
New York City spent more than $117 million resolving lawsuits against the NYPD for misconduct in 2023, marking the third-highest yearly total since 2018 when payout tracking began. Legal Aid Society attributes this to a culture of impunity within the department. The NYPD argues many incidents occurred over 20 years ago and don't reflect current practices, citing recent accountability measures by Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch. The Police Benevolent Association contends the city settles cases where officers did nothing wrong rather than litigating. Legal Aid identified a recurring pattern: allegations that police failed to provide medical care to people in custody, contributing to the high settlement amounts.
#nypd-misconduct #police-accountability #civil-litigation-settlements #new-york-city-government-spending #police-reform
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