NYPD officer lands $175K settlement over 'courtesy cards' that help drivers get out of traffic stops

[OnlinePoker]

A New York City police officer has reached a $175,000 settlement with the city in a lawsuit that illuminated the use of the “courtesy cards” that officers dole out to friends and relatives to get out of traffic stops and other minor infractions, according to an agreement filed in Manhattan federal court Monday.

The deal brings an end to a lawsuit brought last year by Officer Mathew Bianchi that claimed he’d been punished by his superiors for failing to honor the cards, though the settlement itself makes no substantive changes to how the cards are used by NYPD officers.

The laminated cards, which typically bear an image of an NYPD badge and the name of one of the city’s police unions, are not officially recognized by the police department but have long been treated as a perk of the job.

The city’s police unions issue them to members, who circulate them among those who want to signal their NYPD connections — often to get out of minor infractions such as speeding or failing to wear a seat belt.

https://apnews.com/article/nypd-courtesy-card-police-misconduct-d5dfdbdad12b01a2cda864f69aa3d1aa

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Punished for treating everybody equally. He got some justice, but it's unlikely he'll go as far as he could because he'll be viewed as "not a team player" in future assessments.

[marybourg]

1. Most NYPD officers retire after 20 years and go in to a second,

often more lucrative, career. His payoff may come then.

[C0RI0LANUS]

2. NYPD officers sign the backs of these PBA cards with a Sharpie to "activate" them.

NYPD detectives have a separate union and distribute the below courtesy cards.

[MagickMuffin]

3. Enforcer Unions: We are above the law

We get nifty “get out of jail cards” because we special we carry a badge. Mind you it isn’t a badge of honor but a badge of we do what we want!

[delisen]

4. This should be illegal. nt

[OnlinePoker]

5. Note that the Mayor confirmed the settlement but declined to comment

They're willing to pay out that amount but are not going to change the practice. Corruption begins at the top and, as a former senior police officer, Adams is culpable in this affront to the legal system by not doing anything to stop it.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

6. Some call it "courtesy". I call it "corruption". nt