A New York Metropolis police officer has reached a $175,000 settlement with the town in a lawsuit that illuminated using the “courtesy cards” that officers dole out to mates and family to get out of site visitors stops and different minor infractions, based on an settlement filed in Manhattan federal courtroom Monday.
The deal brings an finish to a lawsuit introduced final 12 months by Officer Mathew Bianchi that claimed he’d been punished by his superiors for failing to honor the playing cards, although the settlement itself makes no substantive adjustments to how the playing cards are utilized by NYPD officers.
The laminated playing cards, which generally bear a picture of an NYPD badge and the identify of one of many metropolis’s police unions, should not formally acknowledged by the police division however have lengthy been handled as a perk of the job.
Town’s police unions problem them to members, who flow into them amongst those that need to sign their NYPD connections — usually to get out of minor infractions comparable to dashing or failing to put on a seat belt.
Bianchi stated his views in regards to the courtesy playing cards haven’t modified. The 40-year-old Staten Island-based officer stated there must be extra oversight over how lots of the playing cards are distributed to officers and higher protections for many who communicate out towards their misuse.
“It’s a form of corruption,” he stated by cellphone Tuesday. “My approach to how I handle them is not going to change, even if some boss is going to try to punish me. I’m still going to go out there and I’m going to do exactly what I feel is right.”
Bianchi’s lawyer John Scola stated he hoped the officer’s efforts would encourage others within the division to step ahead as whistleblowers.
“Officer Bianchi displayed remarkable courage by standing up to the NYPD, doing what was right despite the significant risks to his career,” he stated.
Mayor Eric Adams’ administration confirmed the settlement phrases however declined to remark additional.
“Resolving this case was best for all parties,” Nicholas Paolucci, a legislation division spokesperson, wrote in an electronic mail Tuesday.
In his lawsuit filed final 12 months, Bianchi claimed present and retired officers have entry to lots of of playing cards, giving them away in change for a reduction on a meal or a house enchancment job.
He additionally claimed he had been reprimanded on quite a few events for writing tickets to the buddies and households of officers, even after that they had produced a courtesy card.
The ultimate straw got here when he issued a ticket to a driver who turned out to be a good friend of the NYPD’s highest-ranking uniformed officer, Chief Jeffrey Maddrey, in the summertime of 2022. Bianchi stated he was promptly ousted from his job within the division’s site visitors unit and relegated to nighttime patrol duties.
The police division declined to remark, deferring inquiries to the legislation division.
The Police Benevolent Affiliation, NYPD’s largest police union, didn’t reply to an electronic mail in search of remark Tuesday. Town’s police unions have lengthy confronted scrutiny over the playing cards due to the looks of corruption and their look on the market on eBay.
Bianchi stated Tuesday that he’s since moved to a dayside shift however that his efforts to advance his profession have been restricted by the lawsuit.
“I’ve literally applied for just about everything since I’ve been put back, and they’ve denied me for everything,” he stated. “They’re not very secretive as to why, and I’ve had supervisors tell me why I can’t go anywhere.”
However the nine-year veteran of the drive stated he doesn’t remorse bringing the lawsuit.
“I’m glad I didn’t take the punishment and the retaliation lying down,” he stated. “I’m glad that I did something.”
