The Legal Aid Society released an analysis of data showing that the City paid $205,631,253 in police misconduct lawsuit settlements in 2024, marking the highest annual payout in years.

Since 2018, taxpayers have shouldered the cost of thousands of alleged misconduct lawsuits, with settlements totaling over $750 million. Total payouts for police misconduct are likely to be substantially higher because this data does not account for matters that were settled with the New York City Comptroller’s office prior to formal litigation.

This analysis comes amid attempts by Governor Kathy Hochul, Mayor Eric Adams, the New York City Police Department, and prosecutors to roll back New York’s widely successful and modernized evidence-sharing practices, known as discovery, which have helped prevent wrongful convictions and unjust incarceration while exposing police misconduct and furthering accountability.

“The staggering payout totals for 2024 prove that the City would rather spend tens of millions in taxpayer dollars each year than take decisive action to dismantle the culture of impunity within the NYPD that allows this gross misconduct to persist,” said Amanda Jack, Policy Director with Criminal Law Reform at Legal Aid.

“Our analysis, based on City data, comes amid attempts by elected officials and law enforcement to completely gut New York’s widely successful discovery reform, which helps guard against wrongful convictions and prolonged detention while exposing police misconduct,” she continued. “If they succeed, injustices will surge, and taxpayers will ultimately bear the financial cost.”