Ford to halt production after 2011
Kalamazoo Gazette
KALAMAZOO, Mich. — For police agencies, the Ford Crown Victoria has been like an old friend -- dependable, always there.
So news that Ford Motor Co. plans to halt production of the sedan after 2011 worries local law enforcement leaders, who say they are worried about finding a suitable successor and about the potential costs of replacing equipment that has fit the “Crown Vic” year after year.
“It’s unfortunate for us,” Kalamazoo County Sheriff Richard Fuller said. “The cage alone inside our Crown Vics is the same cage for the Crown Vic five years back, and that’s an expensive piece of equipment ... The Crown Vic is dependable; they fit what we need.
“That’s all going to go out the window when they switch to the Ford Taurus.”
The Taurus may be Ford’s next police vehicle, according to an Aug. 28 report in the Detroit News, though the automaker has not officially announced a successor to the Crown Victoria.
In Lansing, where the Michigan State Police tests police vehicles, Lt. Keith Wilson said the Crown Victoria has been the car of choice among police agencies for the past several years because of its proven durability and serviceability.
Wilson, commander of the State Police’s precision-driving unit, also said that until 2006, the Crown Victoria was the only police-rated vehicle with rear-wheel drive, often a preferred option for police.
“We’re confident that whatever Ford brings to the table as a replacement for the Crown Vic will be a quality product,” Wilson said. “They’re very aware of the needs of law enforcement. It is their goal to retain their market share of police-vehicle sales.”
Bill Campbell, fleet- and government-sales manager for Signature Ford and Mercury in Owosso, which has sold vehicles to agencies that include the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety, Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office and Kalamazoo Township Police Department, said Ford holds about 80 percent of the market for police-vehicle sales. The remaining 20 percent is spread among Chevrolet’s Impala and Tahoe models and Dodge’s police-rated Charger.
Campbell said that though Ford officials have been tight-lipped about a replacement for the Crown Victoria, his dealership has been told the automaker plans to offer two police-rated vehicles after 2011. He said he has not been told whether those will be new models or ones the company already has in production.
Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety Chief Jeff Hadley said the department buys eight to 12 Crown Victorias per year and generally keeps them on the road three to four years.
Hadley said he hopes that whatever Ford offers in the future, it will have enough space for the array of equipment officers need at their fingertips, including a computer, a mobile recording unit and radio and enough trunk space for the large amount of turnout gear officers in the combined police-fire force need to respond to fires.
He said he also hopes equipment the department is currently using in its Crown Victorias will fit whatever replaces them.
“If we don’t have to replace our equipment, we don’t incur an additional burden to the taxpayer,” said Lt. Jon Uribe, acting captain of Public Safety’s Services Division, which manages the agency’s fleet.
Ford has told State Police officials it plans to work closely with police agencies and aftermarket vehicle outfitters before 2011 to allow departments to purchase whatever equipment they might need for the new patrol vehicles, the State Police’s Wilson said.
“Fundamentally, I think the No. 1 concern is making sure the vehicle is safe for the officers,” Hadley said.
The chief said the Crown Victoria is popular among officers mostly because of its handling, roominess and familiarity.
“Obviously, every year as you buy the same cars, officers become familiar with it,” he said. “They like it ... they know how the car is going to react.”
Copyright 2009 Kalamazoo Gazette