NEW YORK CITY — Damaging the city's stuff comes with a hefty price.
City Comptroller John Liu's office recovered nearly $2 million in the past year from insurers of individuals who ruined public property.
The record haul included payouts to the city for NYPD cruisers and traffic lights that were totaled by reckless motorists, his office said Thursday.
"When the city gets damaged — whether it's a police car or a stop sign — we're going to do everything we can to get restitution for taxpayers," Liu said. "I am pleased we are doing an even better job, as this record-breaking year for damage recoveries shows."
The largest recovery payment, $23,973, was from the insurer of a driver who made an illegal U-turn in The Bronx in June 2011 and crashed into a cop car with its lights and sirens on.
The comptroller recovered another $1,240 from the insurer of a motorist who ran a red light in Queens on April 11 and collided with another car that took out a traffic light.
In total Liu's office recovered $1.98 million for Fiscal Year 2012, which ended June 30. The previous fiscal year, the office recovered $1.4 million.
