Police Misconduct Lawsuit Settlements Cost Dallas Millions Over 5 Years

Records show that Dallas, Texas, has spent almost $11 million in the past five years settling more than 20 lawsuits against police, a huge increase compared to the previous five years.

KDFW-TV reports the city spent less than $400,000 to settle less than 10 cases from 2006 to 2011. Dallas also currently has almost 40 unresolved liability claims against local police officers.

Geoff Henley is an attorney who specializes in civil rights cases. He says the increase in payouts may be due to the better documentation that comes with video cameras, not because officers are behaving worse.

Nearby, Arlington spent less than $2 million settling lawsuits involving excessive police force claims in the past five years. Fort Worth paid $12,000 in the past five years in law enforcement liability claims.