On Tuesday, Mayor Michael Nutter and Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey announced that four police officers would be fired and four others would be disciplined for their role in a much publicized beating of three individuals. The confrontation, which took place two weeks ago, was captured on tape by a Fox 29 helicopter and received national news coverage. The story made me wonder: how much has police brutality cost the taxpayers of Philadelphia?
There is a high financial cost associated with police misconduct. According to records kept by the Law Department, the City of Philadelphia has paid $14.4 million over the past five years to individuals who have been mistreated by police officers. There are five categories of misconduct: shootings, assault, civil rights claims, excessive force, and false arrest.
Which type of behavior is the most costly? Surprisingly, it's not mistaken shooting of civilian by police officers. The most expensive category, at least for the last five years, has actually been assault. There have been 219 claims of wrongful assault against members of the police department and 92 have been settled for $5.81 million. The second most costly mistake is wrongful arrests, with 63 cases settled for a cost of $3.37 million. There have been 11 wrongful shootings by police that have resulted in payments of $2.6 million.
Of course, there are other social costs associated with police brutality that are impossible to give a price tag. How many witnesses will refuse to come forward because they mistrust the Philadelphia Police Department? How badly are community-police relations strained by well-publicized incidents of police brutality? Paying individuals who have been victims of police brutality does nothing to the larger wounds inflicted upon communities by the misconduct of law enforcement officials.
Which do you think is worse? The social costs of police misconduct or the price tag associated with this behavior?