NYPD Officer Exposes Longstanding Practice of Selective Enforcement Using 'Courtesy Cards'

A New York City police officer has filed a federal lawsuit against the use of "courtesy cards" by friends and relatives of colleagues on the force.
The laminated cards are not officially recognized by the NYPD but have long been treated as a perk of the job, allowing people with connections to law enforcement to avoid traffic tickets.
Officer Mathew Bianchi described a practice of selective enforcement with consequences for officers who don’t follow the unwritten policy.
The ubiquity of the cards means that those without connections to law enforcement are less likely to get off with a warning, and minority motorists were less likely to have access to the cards.
The cards allow people with a connection to law enforcement to avoid traffic tickets, creating a system of impunity.