An investigation by Riley Yates, the lead data reporter for NJ Advance Media, found police departments across the state are spending millions to resolve claims of misconduct and have agreed to pay out at least $87 million since 2019 to settle cases against their officers. The payments by nearly 500 police departments were often made in secrecy and 60% of the officers who were named in these lawsuits were still police officers.
Yates highlights how these costly lawsuits represent a fraction of just how much legal settlements involving law enforcement are costing the state. “We got 370 settlements from 147 police departments, and the median payout there was $70,000 — which is, just for perspective … about $20,000 more than the typical New Jersey resident earns in a year,” Yates said.
