Wednesday, March 23, 2005

But a Crown Vic is easy to spot!

Yahoo! News - Many Police Depts. Drop Crown Vic Suit

CHICAGO - Dozens of police departments in Illinois who joined a lawsuit alleging that a popular police cruiser is unsafe have dropped out because they said Ford Motor Co. threatened to stop selling them the cars.
Officials said switching from the Crown Victoria Interceptor to another vehicle would cost them tens of thousands of dollars, and the specially built police cruiser is still favored by many departments.
"I think it's coercion by Ford," said Trisha Murphy, a plaintiffs' attorney involved in the lawsuit.
Jim Feeney, an attorney for Ford, said approximately 120 police agencies in the state have dropped out of the lawsuit and more are planning to. He said the automaker just wants the departments to decide if they really want to sue.
"The bottom line is either they are serious about the lawsuit and the claims in the lawsuit or they're not," he said. "If you think the vehicle is unsafe — we don't — but if you do, don't expect us to supply you vehicles."
The Crown Victorias have been the focus of legal battles since 2002, when municipalities around the country began alleging in lawsuits that the vehicles explode too easily in rear collisions.
Since 1983, at least 15 police officers nationwide have died in fiery crashes after their cruisers were hit from behind
Officials in some communities have decided to stay committed to the lawsuit. The community of Northlake, for example, has decided to convert its small fleet of Crown Victorias to Chevrolet Impalas.
"It just rubs me the wrong way that they can try and push everybody around," Mayor Jeffrey Sherwin said

.....I hope this doesn't affect the local PD in any way...I'll want to know if they switch, so I'll know what to look for :) To quote Rockford - "When did the Feds switch to Chevys?"

Comments on "But a Crown Vic is easy to spot!"

 

Blogger Eaglewing said ... (March 25, 2005 7:43 PM) : 

hmm, a Dodge Charger as a police car just seems wrong somehow...

 

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