A New York Police Department officer has reached a $175,000 settlement with the city in a lawsuit over his alleged gun abuse. “Privilege Card” According to the agreement filed Monday in Manhattan federal court, fines given by officers to friends and relatives to get away with traffic tickets and other minor infractions are justification for violating the law.
The settlement puts an end to a lawsuit filed last year by Officer Matthew Bianchi, who said he was disciplined by his superiors for failing to comply with the cards, but the settlement itself does not make any substantive changes to how NYPD officers use the cards.
The laminated cards, which typically feature an image of an NYPD badge and the name of the city’s police union, are not officially recognized by police department officials and have long been treated as a perk of the job.
The city’s police union issues them to its members, who then circulate them among those who want to demonstrate their ties to the NYPD, often to get away with minor infractions like speeding or not wearing a seat belt.
Bianchi said his position on the courtesy cards hasn’t changed. The 40-year-old Staten Island-based officer said there should be more oversight over the number of cards distributed to officers and more protections for those who speak out against their misuse.
“This is a form of corruption,” he said by phone Tuesday. “Even if my superiors try to punish me, it won’t change the way I deal with them. I’m going to continue to go out there and do exactly what I think is right.”
Bianchi’s attorney, John Scola, said he hopes the officer’s efforts will inspire others within the police department to come forward as whistleblowers.
“Officer Bianchi demonstrated incredible courage by standing up to the NYPD and doing the right thing, despite the great risk to his own career,” he said.
Mayor Eric Adams’ administration confirmed the terms of the settlement but declined to comment further.
“It was in the best interest of all parties to resolve this case,” Justice Department spokesman Nicholas Paolucci said in an email Tuesday.
Bianchi alleged in a lawsuit filed last year that hundreds of current and retired police officers use the cards, handing them over in exchange for discounts on meals and home improvement work.
He also alleged that he was repeatedly reprimanded for fining friends and family of police officers even after they presented him with thank-you notes.
The deciding factor came in the summer of 2022, when Bianchi wrote a ticket to a driver who turned out to be a friend of the NYPD’s highest-ranking uniformed officer, Chief Jeffrey Madeley. Bianchi said he was immediately removed from his job in the department’s traffic division and demoted to night patrol duty.
Police declined to comment and referred questions to their legal department.
The NYPD’s largest police union, the Police Benevolent Association, did not respond to an email seeking comment Tuesday. The city’s police union has long Scrutiny On the card for the appearance of decay and its appearance Available on eBay.
Bianchi said Tuesday that he has since been transferred to the day shift, but that the lawsuit has limited his efforts to advance his career.
“I literally applied for everything since I got back to work and got rejected for everything,” he said. “There wasn’t much of a secret as to why and I was told by my boss why I couldn’t get anywhere.”
But the veteran officer, who has been with the police force for nine years, said he has no regrets about filing the lawsuit.
“I’m glad I didn’t have to sit back and accept the punishment and retribution,” he said. “I’m glad I did something.”
