\n
![](\"https:\/\/fortune.com\/img-assets\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/GettyImages-183889586-e1726011231612.jpg?w=2048\")
<\/p>\n [ad_1]
\n<\/p>\n
A New York City police officer has reached a $175,000 settlement with the city in a lawsuit that illuminated the use of the\u00a0\u201ccourtesy cards\u201d<\/a>\u00a0that officers dole<\/a> out to friends and relatives to get out of traffic stops and other minor infractions, according to an agreement filed in Manhattan federal court Monday.<\/p>\n The deal brings an end to a lawsuit brought last year by Officer Mathew Bianchi that claimed he\u2019d been punished by his superiors for failing to honor the cards, though the settlement itself makes no substantive changes to how the cards are used by NYPD officers.<\/p>\n The laminated cards, which typically bear an image of an NYPD badge and the name of one of the city\u2019s police unions, are not officially recognized by the police department but have long been treated as a perk of the job.<\/p>\n The city\u2019s police unions issue them to members, who circulate them among those who want to signal their NYPD connections \u2014 often to get out of minor infractions such as speeding or failing to wear a seat belt.<\/p>\n Bianchi said his views about the courtesy cards haven\u2019t changed. The 40-year-old Staten Island-based officer said there should be more oversight over how many of the cards are distributed to officers and better protections for those who speak out against their misuse.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a form of corruption,\u201d he said by phone Tuesday. \u201cMy approach to how I handle them is not going to change, even if some boss is going to try to punish me. I\u2019m still going to go out there and I\u2019m going to do exactly what I feel is right.\u201d<\/p>\n Bianchi\u2019s lawyer John Scola said he hoped the officer\u2019s efforts would inspire others in the department to step forward as whistleblowers.<\/p>\n \u201cOfficer Bianchi displayed remarkable courage by standing up to the NYPD, doing what was right despite the significant risks to his career,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Mayor Eric Adams\u2019 administration confirmed the settlement terms but declined to comment further.<\/p>\n \u201cResolving this case was best for all parties,\u201d Nicholas Paolucci, a law department spokesperson, wrote in an email Tuesday.<\/p>\n In his lawsuit filed last year, Bianchi claimed current and retired officers have access to hundreds of cards, giving them away in exchange for a discount on a meal or a home improvement job.<\/p>\n He also claimed he had been reprimanded on numerous occasions for writing tickets to the friends and families of officers, even after they had produced a courtesy card.<\/p>\n The final straw came when he issued a ticket to a driver who turned out to be a friend of the NYPD\u2019s highest-ranking uniformed officer, Chief Jeffrey Maddrey, in the summer of 2022. Bianchi said he was promptly ousted from his job in the department\u2019s traffic unit and relegated to night patrol duties.<\/p>\n The police department declined to comment, deferring questions to the law department.<\/p>\n The Police Benevolent Association, NYPD\u2019s largest police union, didn\u2019t respond to an email seeking comment Tuesday. The city\u2019s police unions have long faced\u00a0scrutiny<\/a>\u00a0over the cards because of the appearance of corruption and their appearance\u00a0for sale on eBay<\/a>.<\/p>\n Bianchi said Tuesday that he\u2019s since moved to a dayside shift but that his efforts to advance his career have been limited by the lawsuit.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve literally applied for just about everything since I\u2019ve been put back, and they\u2019ve denied me for everything,\u201d he said. \u201cThey\u2019re not very secretive as to why, and I\u2019ve had supervisors tell me why I can\u2019t go anywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n But the nine-year veteran of the force said he doesn\u2019t regret bringing the lawsuit.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m glad I didn\u2019t take the punishment and the retaliation lying down,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m glad that I did something.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n