Cost of Police-Misconduct Cases Soars in Big U.S. Cities

Wall Street Journal. ^ | 7/16/15 | Zusha Elinson & Dan Frosch

[DoodleDawg]

The cost of resolving police-misconduct cases has surged for big U.S. cities in recent years, even before the current wave of scrutiny faced by law-enforcement over tactics.

The 10 cities with the largest police departments paid out $248.7 million last year in settlements and court judgments in police-misconduct cases, up 48% from $168.3 million in 2010, according to data gathered by The Wall Street Journal through public-records requests.

Those cities collectively paid out $1.02 billion over those five years in such cases, which include alleged beatings, shootings and wrongful imprisonment. When claims related to car collisions, property damage and other police incidents are included, the total rose to more than $1.4 billion.

On Monday, New York City agreed to a $5.9 million settlement with the estate of Eric Garner, whose death after being put in a police chokehold last summer sparked widespread protests.

[DoodleDawg]

After the video of that shooting in Gardena I imagine this figure is going to go up.

[SMARTY]

“Cost of Police-Misconduct Cases Soars in Big U.S. Cities”

How does it compare to the cost of rebuilding after overindulged morons riot, loot and destroy?

[USNBandit]

It's not just the cost of misconduct. It is also the cost of settling instead of going to court. In my previous town the local PD was chasing a burglar who hid under a porch. A K-9 went under the porch and the perp kicked him in the face really hard. The officer pulled his dog back and went in himself and met resistance. This ended with a Taser employment where one of the darts hit the suspect in the left testicle. It was reported that with that dart placement the taser was extremely effective.

The city settled with the suspect for $45k despite the criminality which led to his encounter with police.

[SMARTY]

I’d love to know the cost Baltimore will pay for THEIR temper tantrum.... But I a sure that the Fed will front them the money.

By that I mean, US taxpayers will pick up the tab. In the end-taxpayers (hard working, law abiding people) always pay.

[dila813]

I heard that Police applications are down 90% in nearly every major urban center on the news radio yesterday.

[pfony1]

“Raising the Cost” is a tactic from Alinsky’s “Rules for Radicals”.

Death penalty verdicts? Too expensive!

Long prison terms? Too expensive!

Vigorous law enforcement? Too expensive!

Protecting citizens from crime? Too expensive!

This is just further proof that Shakespeare was RIGHT to say:

“The first thing we do, let’s [kick] all the lawyers.”

[USNBandit]

The interesting thing is that the Feds denied a state request for funds for the added law enforcement. I’m sure federal money will show up for rebuilding the ghetto.

[SaraJohnson]

This is the only way the police culture will change, hopefully, for the better. But since communists are leading the cause of “change” The change will mean not arresting and not jailing black criminals.