You are chief of a large urban police department. For years, the city has maintained an informal practice of settling law suits in which plaintiffs allege police abuse or excessive force. Even those lawsuits that seem weak on their merits are routinely settled. The logic for settlement is simply that it is usually cheaper to settle than taking a case to trial. The city, which has a population of nearly 3 million people, paid out $150 million in settlements last year. This cuts deeply into the city's budget and consequently the police departments. You are increasingly concerned that unscrupulous people (and their attorneys) are aware of the practice and have begun to file even more lawsuits looking for easy payouts. You are also concerned that morale in the police department has suffered because of the city's tendency to settle.