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Officer who ignored NYPD's 'courtesy cards' receives $175K settlement

A New York City police officer has reached a $175,000 settlement with the city in his 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.

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. In his lawsuit filed last year, Bianchi claimed current and retired officers have access to hundreds of cards, giving them away in exchange for a discount on a meal or a home improvement job. The final straw came when he issued a ticket to a driver who turned out to be a friend of the NYPD’s highest-ranking uniformed officer, Chief Jeffrey Maddrey, in the summer of 2022.

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