Queens Councilwoman Nantasha Williams is attempting to rally City Council support for a contentious state measure which calls for police officers to get personal liability insurance in the event of a lawsuit.
Democrat Nantasha Williams persuaded other council members to support the state measure this week, arguing that it would result in significant cost savings for local governments.
In a letter dated August 7, Williams stated, “Local governments can save millions in taxpayer dollars by shifting the financial responsibility for lawsuit payouts to insurance companies and the officers themselves.”
“Additionally, this measure would incentivize improved police conduct, fostering greater accountability within the force,” Williams argued, adding that on Wednesday she would be introducing a City Council resolution urging state lawmakers to approve the legislation.
In her letter, Williams referenced an April study by Comptroller Brad Lander which showed that the number of lawsuits filed against NYPD officers rose by 50% during the fiscal years 2022 and 2023. Settlement and judgment awards increased by 12% during the same time, from $239.1 million to $266.7 million, according to the study.
Assemblywoman Alicia Hyndman (D-Queens) and former senator Alessandra Biaggi (D-Bronx) first presented the measure in 2020 in response to the police shooting of George Floyd in Minnesota, which sparked widespread unrest and the now-famous cries to defund law enforcement. The proposal was shelved during that year’s legislative session, but Hyndman tried it again this year, substituting Bronx Democrat Nathalia Fernandez for Biaggi on the Senate version.
“This bill is an attempt to ‘Defund the Police’ in disguise,” said PBA President Patrick Hendry to The New York Post. “Requiring already underpaid cops to pay for liability insurance will chase away recruits and drive even more experienced cops towards the exits.”
