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Report: Number Of Lawsuits Against NYPD Hits Record High

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- The NYPD is getting sued more than ever -- and residents are paying the price.

The number of civil suits against the New York Police Department has doubled in the past decade to a record high of more than 9,500 filed in 2012 -- at a cost to taxpayers of more than $1 billion, according to a New York Daily News review of the claims published Sunday.

The newspaper reported that 55 NYPD officers in the department of 34,000 members have been sued more than 10 times in the past decade.

One Bronx narcotics detective, Peter Valentin, has been sued 28 times resulting in nearly $900,000 in settlements, according to the report.

Michael Palladino, president of the Detectives Endowment Association, noted that the claims do not indicate wrongdoing. He said they could be a result of an officer being more active and therefore more likely to be sued.

The suits range from allegations of false arrest to pets getting shot.

NYPD spokesman Stephen Davis said former NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly established a Civil Lawsuit Monitoring Program and a Risk Assessment Unit in September to try to sniff out problem officers.

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