But some rough comparisons can be made, using recent data several cities provided to the AP.
For example, Chicago's police force, the nation's second-biggest, averaged about $2,930 in payouts per officer over the past six years. That tops New York's roughly $2,700-a-year average from the 1999 to 2008 fiscal years, the most recent available. Chicago's figures include a nearly $21 million settlement-and-interest payment in 2008 to a driver paralyzed when police slammed into his car while chasing someone else.
In Los Angeles, with less than half New York's population, the average was about $2,200 in payouts per officer in the past seven fiscal years. That includes a nearly $13 million settlement last year with about 300 participants in a pro-immigration rally where police fired rubber bullets and pummeled demonstrators with batons.
Philadelphia, with less than a fifth of New York's population, spent about one-tenth as much as New York in payouts, averaging $9.2 million a year from 2005 to 2009.
As much as New York spent, it was less than a fifth of the city's $5.3 billion total payouts. Public hospital claims were far costlier.
New York's data don't detail the nature of the police cases. But research into just some of the biggest payouts shows car accidents alone cost more than $30 million in those 10 years. Some multimillion-dollar settlements have gone to officers themselves for on-the-job injuries.
More than $23 million was spent to compensate for police bullets or brutality, millions more to settle claims of unjustified arrests and wrongful convictions.
Some officers are sued multiple times: In the past three years, one Brooklyn precinct sergeant has been sued at least seven times on excessive force and brutality claims, costing the city at least $188,250. A narcotics detective was the target of at least six suits that spurred $103,000 in payouts. The city has paid $171,500 to settle four suits against one plainclothes detective; another case against him is pending.
The city did not admit wrongdoing. Two of the officers are still on the force; one retired. None was charged criminally or disciplined, though the sergeant was later monitored for use of force.
Most departments don't do much, if anything, with information from lawsuits; to them, if no wrongdoing is admitted, why bother tracking the cases?
But some experts believe mining the cases could lead to fewer suits.
"Even if (officials) tracked the information just to decrease liability, isn't that a good idea?" said Cynthia Conti-Cook of Stoll, Glickman and Bellina, a Brooklyn firm that has sued officers.
Last year, Vallone proposed tracking the city's settlements to ensure it pays out only when liable and learns from the cases it does pay. The NYPD assigned a committee to look at the more costly payouts for evidence of perjury, corruption and other wrongdoing.
City lawyers say they do weigh claims with an eye on potential costs.
"Even though the facts may all be pointing to a justification of what you did, and no liability, if it's going to a jury, then it's always a question," Leoussis said of the city law department. "You can't afford to take that kind of risk."