These NYPD Cops Faced Most Lawsuits, Biggest Payouts: Advocates

NEW YORK CITY — Scores of problematic NYPD cops whose misconduct cost taxpayers millions of dollars or have repeatedly faced civil rights lawsuits remain on active duty, according to advocate analyses.

The Legal Aid Society advocates released two lists Monday showing active officers who racked up the highest misconduct payouts and are the most-named in civil lawsuits.

Many of those problematic cops have even risen through the NYPD's ranks, despite being dogged by accusations of misconduct, said Jennvine Wong, staff attorney with the group's Cop Accountability Project.

"Collectively, these active members of the NYPD have garnered hundreds of lawsuits, costing taxpayers millions of dollars in cases raising shocking allegations of misconduct, yet they are still allowed to wear a badge and carry a gun," she said in a statement. "It is also deeply concerning that many have attained ranks of sergeant or above."

NYPD officials didn't return a request for comment by publication.

The data was first reported by The Intercept, which noted the NYPD's officer profile transparency database often doesn't include disciplinary information.

One such officer was Sgt. David Grieco, who has been the subject of 48 civil lawsuits since 2013 that have resulted in more than $1 million in payouts, according to Legal Aid-compiled data.

The accusations of misconduct that Grieco faced — which included a 2019 case in which he and other officers arrested three people without a warrant, left them handcuffed to a wall for six hours and released them without with charges — didn't rise to the NYPD's narrow definition of "misconduct, The Intercept reported.

Here are the lists released by The Legal Aid Society: