Against the backdrop of the national discussion on the future of police funding, public defender organizations are shedding light on the tremendous costs lawsuits brought against police misconduct incur on major cities throughout the United States.

According to a report from ABC News, The New York Police Department – the largest police force in the country with over 36,000 members – paid out $175.9 million in civil judgments for police-related lawsuits in 2019 alone, including claims related to false arrests, civil rights violations, and excessive force.

“In New York City at least…budgets for settlements from lawsuits…comes from the city, and that’s taxpayer money,” said Jennvine Wong, staff attorney with The Legal Aid Society’s Cop Accountability Project and Special Litigation Unit. “That’s a lot of money that we are paying out for the misconduct of many cops that are still allowed [to] stay on the force.”