Employees at Ford have asked that the car manufacturer stop the building of cars meant for police, according to a report from Jalopnik that was published recently.
This request is due to the numerous Black Lives Matter protests that are ongoing throughout the United States and all over the world, which was sparked by the death of George Floyd at the hands of a police officer.
Ford Cars Used By Police Officers For The Wrong Reasons?
In a letter to Ford CEO Jim Hackett along with Chairman Bill Ford, workers stated that throughout history, vehicles that have been made by Ford had been used by police to oppress people and cause brutality.
The workers know that most people are joining, supporting, and supplying law enforcement with no ill intent. However, they think that the racist policing practices that society is plagued with are systemic and historic ever since Ford introduced its first police package about six decades ago.
The workers of Ford have decided that it was long overdue for them to start thinking and acting differently about how they've been contributing to the racist policing that has been a part of the company's history and system.
Many videos are circulating online showing that law enforcement officers used Ford Police Interceptors to drive into protesting crowds of people at events all over the United States. Similarly, there were vehicles from other companies that were used.
The Police Interceptors from Ford are only a small percent of the overall sales from the Blue Oval. Still, the Michigan-based car manufacturer sells the most police vehicles out of any of the other manufacturers in the States. A Ford spokesperson saw the reports and confirmed them, but they have declined to comment.
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Who Wrote The Letter To Ford?
The people responsible for writing the letter is Ford's African-Ancestry Network. The FAAN is an employee resource group that strives to promote Ford's workplace diversity. These employees are calling for the car manufacturer to halt all development, production, and sales of all police products and vehicles.
Ford CEO Hackett responded to the letter quickly through an internal memo, saying that it wasn't a controversy that the Ford Police Interceptors were helping police officers do what they signed up to do. He claimed that the vehicles they drive aren't responsible for the issues plaguing police credibility.
The memo from Hackett continues by saying that if they took away the Police Interceptors, it would make it more difficult for the police to do their job, which would mean harming their safety.
It leads to him mentioning that with the insights they have along with their new leadership and capabilities, he believes that the unfortunate circumstances surrounding Ford give them an excellent opportunity to innovate for new solutions and leveraging their position to support the cause and help create a safer society for everyone.
The letter from FAAN has given a deadline for the car manufacturer to take action. That deadline was set on July 15. The letter claimed that the resources of Ford could and should be delegated to other types of public safety workers and first responders.
