Complaints of excessive force against the NYPD have increased to the highest number they’ve been since 2013, according to a new report released by the New York City Comptroller’s Office.
The report, which includes records from the last three years, found that claims of police using excessive force increased by nearly 50% compared to previous years. In 2025 alone, the city received more than nine thousand filings involving claims of misconduct (especially excessive force), which is nearly 32% higher than the amount received in 2023.
Comptroller Brad Lander said the data show that the early intervention programs aren’t doing enough to prevent these cases from happening.
“The NYPD’s early intervention system is a good start, but this data shows it doesn’t go far enough to root out misconduct,” Lander said. “Our recommendations call for a data-driven, management-forward approach that targets precincts where excessive force and claims are concentrated to reduce harm, save taxpayer dollars, and begin to build trust and advance racial justice in communities most impacted.”
The Comptroller’s report found that over 85% of residents in precincts with the most force complaints are Black or Hispanic. All of the top 10 precincts are majority Black or Hispanic communities.
A report also noted that the city spent $206 million settling lawsuits related to misconduct last year. In many cases, the city chose to settle before the cases reached trial.
“Our goal must be to prevent misconduct before it happens — rather than leaving communities to pay the price in harm, trauma, and costly settlements after the fact,” said Lander.
Lander recommended four steps to resolve this issue and better protect the citizens of New York: strengthen oversight of NYPD officers by adding precinct-level analysis to the Early Intervention System, prioritize high-risk precincts for non-disciplinary use-of-force training and structured supervision improvements, hold city agencies — including the NYPD — financially accountable for the cost of misconduct settlements, and increase transparency and accountability through quarterly public reports.
Council Member Althea Stevens made a statement regarding this report’s findings, explaining how these cases leave a lasting impact on their communities.
“Behind every settlement is a person, a loved one, a neighbor whose trust in the very people sworn to protect them has broken,” Stevens said. “Community members deserve to feel safe walking to school, going to work, or simply sitting outside their homes. Accountability must mean more than dollars paid out, it must mean real change in how our communities are treated and respected.”
