NEW YORK CITY — New York City taxpayers paid more than $117 million last year to resolve lawsuits accusing the NYPD of misconduct, according to a new report.
The report, released by the Legal Aid Society on Monday, disclosed that 1,044 cases were resolved in 2025. A majority of the cases were settled before trial.
In total, the city paid out $117,251,230.82.
“New Yorkers are once again paying the price for alleged police misconduct, and the numbers from the full 2025 calendar year make clear that this pattern continues,” Jennvine Wong, Supervising Attorney with Legal Aid’s Cop Accountability Project, said in a statement.
“The officers named in these cases continue to cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars in settlements and legal fees. In most professions, conduct that repeatedly exposes an employer to that level of financial liability would trigger serious scrutiny and consequences.”
According to the analysis, 17 settlements topped $1 million including $2 million given to Brigid Pierce.
A federal jury found the city liable for assault and battery during a protest in Downtown Brooklyn and determined that an NYPD officer negligently failed to provide her with medical care following the use of force back in 2020.
After her release from custody, Pierce sought emergency medical treatment for a head injury and was later diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury. She testified that she continues to experience neurological and vision problems, including headaches, blurred vision, and flashes of light.
Pierce also testified that her injuries affected her ability to continue working in marketing and to work in front of a computer. In addition to her physical injuries, she described ongoing emotional and psychological effects, including anxiety and panic attacks, which she said have altered her sense of safety in public spaces and around law enforcement.
Since 2019, taxpayers have paid more than $796 million to settle police misconduct cases. In 2024, the settlement amount topped $200 million.
In response to the report, the NYPD said many of the incidents occurred more than 20 years ago and “they tell you nothing about the state of policing today.”
The department added that under Commissioner Jessica Tisch the NYPD has taken significant steps to increase accountability, compliance, and change outdated policies that might create greater risk.
This analysis comes after Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that the city is facing a significant budget deficit.