02 June 2023 , 15:50
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New York police are allegedly issuing "courtesy cards" to get friends out of trouble, an officer has claimed.
Mathew Bianchi, who works for the NYPD, has filed a lawsuit in Manhattan, US, this week against his colleagues who are accused of using the laminated cards to help get families and mates out of traffic tickets.
Though not officially recognised by the New York Police Department, the city's police unions issue them to members, who circulate them among those who want to to get out of minor offences such as not wearing a seatbelt.
Current and retired officers now have access to hundreds of cards, giving them away in exchange for a discount on a meal or a home improvement job, he said.
Police have been accused of issuing 'courtesy cards' (Getty Images/iStockphoto)In the Staten Island precinct where he works, Mr Bianchi said multitudes of people he pulled over for traffic infractions flashed him one of the cards.
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“I see card after card. You’re not allowed to write any of them (up),” he said.
“We’re not supposed to be showing favouritism when we do car stops, and we shouldn’t be giving them out because the guy mows my lawn.”
Mr Bianchi said he was reprimanded on numerous occasions for writing a ticket to a relative or parent of an officer.
Current and retired officers now have access to hundreds of cards (AFP via Getty Images)In some cases, his commanding officer would personally review body camera footage to see if he was giving those with cards a “hard time,” the lawsuit states.
The final straw came last summer, when Mr Bianchi wrote a ticket to a friend of the NYPD’s highest-ranking uniformed officer, Chief Jeffrey Maddrey, according to the lawsuit.
Three days later, Mr Bianchi said he was ousted from his job in the traffic unit and moved to a night patrol shift.
The top chief, a long-time ally of New York City Mayor Eric Adams, is currently facing a department trial over allegations that he improperly voided the arrest of a former officer accused of menacing children with a gun.
A spokesperson for the NYPD said the department would review the lawsuit.
John Nuthall, a spokesperson for the Police Benevolent Association, the NYPD’s largest union, didn’t deny the existence of courtesy cards but said it was up to management to decide department policy.
“The law and NYPD policies afford police officers discretion in taking enforcement action,” Nuthall said.
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“Each police officer determines how to exercise that discretion based on the specifics of each case.”
The city’s police unions have long faced media scrutiny over the cards, both over the appearance of corruption and over their appearance for sale on eBay.
Mr Bianchi said it was common for officers to receive stacks of cards from different union delegates.
Dozens of courtesy cards are currently listed for sale online.