[kwhitefoot]

> As long as there's any amount of leeway in enforcement of the law, things like courtesy cards will exist

Do they exist somewhere else?

The police have wide discretion to issue a warning instead of a fine in most countries as far as I know. But these cards seem to be unique to NYPD. I don't mean that corruption doesn't exist elsewhere but usually it's a little less obvious!

[hiatus]

They're not unique to NYPD. Cops in New Jersey have them too and I'm sure others.

[sobkas]

The question is, does cops in civilized countries have them. Because them being a thing in USA is something to be expected.

[_djo_]

They're quite unique to the US. I've never heard of anything like this in European or other developed country police forces.

[homebrewer]

In my highly corrupt country, it's enough to tell the officer you know person so-and-so. They might ask you a question or two, or even threaten to call the person you claim to know, but they rarely do.