A New York cop has come forward with allegations of a culture of cover-up within the NYPD, accusing the police force of providing family and friends with “courtesy cards” that allows them to evade the law.
Officer Matthew Bianchi claims that he was transferred to night patrol and threatened by colleagues simply for doing his job and fining those who misused the cards and drove recklessly. The NYPD has long denied the existence of quotas but withholding “courtesy” fines is considered taboo.
Although these rules have no official regulations, all police forces, including high-ranking officials, mainly distribute them to friends and family members to bail them out if they are in traffic trouble. These cards have penetrated deep within the NYPD, to the point where even rookies are told to honor them.
The police force has used many different methods to cover up previous scandals relating to the distribution of such cards. One infamous case saw sixteen cops being indicted and more than 500 investigated for a scam involving ticket fixing. Those found guilty were promptly released from the police force, while over 200 officers faced departmental punishment.
These so-called “courtesy cards” appear to have replaced such scams. Officer Bianchi claims that the ramifications of not honoring the cards are severe. According to his lawyer, John Scola, PBA and union delegates will “tell you not to write them” if shown a card, destroying any chances of a fair traffic offense system. The reason behind these cards may be to combat corruption, but it appears that they are ultimately causing more problems than solutions.
Bianchi has only been on the force since 2015 but has already seen enough repeat traffic offenders who, with flashing their courtesy cards, assume that they can go unchecked and drive recklessly with no fine. Although he gives drivers some leeway, Bianchi says he has handed out fines fairly and only withheld them in cases where it would be genuinely unfair not to. One such case, according to his lawsuit filed with Manhattan Federal Court, involved a woman who went directly through a red traffic light. Despite showing her courtesy card, she was given a ticket for reckless driving and was warned about the light. After being reassigned to a different department, Bianchi encountered further problems from colleagues who attempted to harass and ridicule him on social media for trying to enforce fair fines.
By September last year, he noticed a significant increase in the number of people flashing their courtesy cards when stopped, with many ranking quite high in the NYPD chain of command. One such example involved a woman who supposedly knew Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey, showing that this culture is not just confined to drivers but extends to senior officials who want to punish any officer who deviates from the status quo. Officer Bianchi was transferred shortly afterwards, but according to court documents, he filed a complaint with Internal Affairs. Various officials from different departments have not replied to requests for comments.
The use of courtesy cards in the NYPD is a deeply divisive issue, and opinions on how to regulate or control them will differ depending on who you ask. However, the fact remains that relaxing traffic regulations, flouting laws, and bending the rules sends a message to the public that the police can be compromised and that the system is unfair. This is not the message that the NYPD should be sending out to the public. Disgruntled and demoralized staff, unhappy with the culture of protection and unwelcome secrecy, might just reach a breaking point where they cannot effectively perform their duties.
Officer Bianchi’s allegations also raise a genuine issue about quotas and the pressure put on officers to fill them. It is not clear if he was assigned such a quota, but the fact remains that officers who meet them are rewarded and those who don’t are demoted or reassigned. This practice appears to contradict NYPD rules, which state that fines must be given to violators of traffic laws rather than the officers who issue the tickets.
It should be said that courtesy cards are not the only issue that the NYPD is facing. There is the issue regarding police brutality, and the tensions between the police and the communities they serve have been simmering for years. The recent protests highlighting the senseless killing of George Floyd caused Americans and people around the world to begin asking questions about how the police can retain the trust of their communities. Until the culture of protection is openly addressed and fully dealt with, the NYPD will continue to face scrutiny, and public trust will continue to wane.
Transparency is the key in such situations. If senior NYPD officers want to really eradicate the use of courtesy cards by their staff, they need to fully embrace transparency and publicly acknowledge the issue at hand. All officers must be held accountable; there must be no more cover-ups or punishment of those officers who act within the law. For that to happen, the department needs to show adequate examples and implement proper regulations to ensure this does not become a widespread practice.
Law enforcement should always be held up to the highest standard; there should be no special privileges for anyone. This culture of protection and secrecy that is heavily associated with the use of courtesy cards needs to end. Unless we do this, the public will continue to mistrust the police, and officers will continue to be associated with corruption and abuse of power. With so much at stake, it is essential that law enforcement performs its duties within the highest possible legal and ethical standards.
It is important to emphasize that the controversy over courtesy cards is not aimed at individual police officers who risk their lives to protect their communities. Instead, it draws attention to those in the force who bend the rules and abuse their position for personal gain or to reassure their public. This is not just a basic erosion of public trust; it can also become a question of life or death, as the public comes to increasingly consider officers as resources not to be trusted. This will ultimately create a system where the criminals become the ultimate beneficiaries and the police are reduced to an ineffective force.
Those who follow the rules should be rewarded, and the culture of protection must come to an end. We need a policing system that is fair, just, transparent, and serves the public interest, without any bias. We need a department that relies on merit-based promotions and does not have connections or past experiences as a high priority. To achieve this, the department must address the issues raised by Bianchi and reassess its values. With proper leadership and public accountability, the NYPD can regain its legitimacy and show that it is truly on the side of the people it serves.
Ultimately, the courts will decide Bianchi’s case, but regardless of the outcome, his claim has already caused waves. Regardless of what happens, the NYPD must now confront the controversy over the use of courtesy cards head-on. Senior officials must address the blatant abuses and create a culture of transparency, not of secrecy. Law enforcement agencies across the world need to take note and realize that police-community issues are not just an American issue, but a global issue. It is up to all of us to help make a difference and facilitate a change in the way the system picks its officers and polices our streets.
Unfortunately, this is a culture that is not going to disappear overnight. But we can all take steps towards detangling the web of secrecy and confusion that seems to be enveloping the NYPD. Until everyone involved, from high-ranking officials to rookies on the beat, prioritize public safety over self-interest; this issue will continue to expand and plunge law enforcement into deeper controversy. By working together, however, we can slowly start to build the trust that has been lost and start moving towards meaningful change. Until then, there will remain a degree of negativity surrounding the NYPD.
Police agencies are predominantly designed to serve and protect their communities, but there are challenges in accomplishing that vision. The tension between the police and the public has not gone unnoticed, and in the current climate, it is crucial that we all work to remedy this issue. The NYPD is now at a crossroads. They must acknowledge the problem, formulate a plan for change, and work with the community they serve to rebuild public trust and show that law enforcement is in the hands of professional and honorable people. Until then, we must work together to ensure that the laws and the law enforcement agencies that uphold them promote social justice, accountability and public trust. The world is watching, and it is time for a change.
To conclude, law enforcement agencies around the world need to put their heads together and consider how to better serve their communities. To do this, they must create a culture of transparency where everyone is held accountable for their actions, regardless of position. Courtesy cards are not the only issue facing the NYPD. There are many other deeply rooted issues that must also be addressed, including police brutality and how police officers themselves are protected. All of these larger problems must be tackled if we are to see true progress and create a brighter future for law enforcement. By working together with the public and senior officials within these agencies, progress can be achieved.
It remains to be seen how much longer the controversy surrounding Officer Bianchi’s allegations is going to reverberate. Hopefully, this court case will serve as a turning point in the relationship between the NYPD and its communities. There is a need and an urgency to address this issue, and the only way this can be achieved is by promoting radical transparency and accountability. Until officers are held to the same standard as others, police reform will remain a distant goal. In the meantime, public distrust of police will only continue to grow, and this should worry us all. It is now more important than ever that the NYPD tackles the issue at hand and works towards complete transparency so that trust can be rebuilt between the police force and the community it serves.
