The police automobile that George Floyd was once mendacity subsequent to when he was once killed was once a Ford. The Ford Interceptor is extensively stated because the country’s best-selling police car car, even though Ford has now not damaged out the collection of automobiles it has bought. There aren’t any company figures on its marketplace proportion, however trade professionals consider it to be within the 60% vary.
Hackett stated the automaker opposes police misconduct.
“It should be clear both [Chairman] Bill Ford and I believe deeply that there is no room for the systemic repression and racism that have been exhibited by law enforcement encounters gone wrong,” Hackett stated within the memo overdue remaining month, which was public this week. “We’ve said clearly that Black Lives Matter. We do believe strongly that more transparency and accountability is required in police operations.”
But Hackett stated that it’s higher for each police and contributors of the general public for Ford to promote police officers probably the most complicated automobiles conceivable.
“It’s not controversial that the Ford Police Interceptor helps officers do their job. The issues plaguing police credibility have nothing to do with the vehicles they’re driving. In fact, as we imagine the future power of our connected vehicles, smarter Ford vehicles can be used to not only improve officers’ ability to protect and serve, but also provide data that can make police safer and more accountable.”
“Throughout our history, the vehicles that Ford employees design and build have been used as accessories to police brutality and oppression,” stated the petition, as reported by way of Jalopnik. “As an undeniable part of that history and system, we are long overdue to ‘think and act differently’ on our role in racism.”
Hackett stated that he thought to be whether or not Ford will have to go out the police automobile trade, however in the end made up our minds to proceed to promote the police automobiles.
“We will do both: continue to be a powerful voice for Black Lives Matter, holding ourselves accountable for significant change, while also continuing to help keep communities safe by producing Police Interceptors and partnering with law enforcement in new ways to strongly support the safety for all members of society,” he wrote.
