A group of Ford employees demanded the auto giant stop making police vehicles, claiming they are “used as accessories to police brutality and oppression.” That’s when Ford’s CEO stepped in and set them straight.
A group of disgruntled Ford employees sent a letter to CEO Jim Hackett, making it clear they were deeply offended by having to take part in building police vehicles. “Throughout history, the vehicles that Ford employees design and build have been used as accessories to police brutality and oppression,” the letter stated.
“We know that while many join, support or supply law enforcement with good intentions, these racist policing practices that plague our society are historic and systemic — a history and system perpetuated by Ford for over 70 years — ever since Ford introduced the first-ever police package in 1950. As an undeniable part of that history and system, we are long overdue to ‘think and act differently’ on our role in racism,” the letter added.
The virtue-signaling employees then turned their ire on CEO Jim Hackett. “[Y]ou communicated to the company your commitment to ‘lead from the front and fully commit to creating the fair, just and inclusive culture that our employees deserve,'” the employee letter stated. “We thank you for your leadership on this initiative. We also appreciate and fully support your statement against ‘superficial actions,’ and we write to push for real action by Ford Motor Company to address our role in the structures that perpetuate racism in society.”
The letter was reportedly being circulated around Ford’s headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan, and employees were being asked to digitally sign-on. The aggrieved Ford employees didn’t have to wait long. CEO Jim Hackett nipped the politically motivated campaign in the bud.
“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,” Hackett wrote in an office memo. “Just think, dating back to the Model T, Ford has more than 100 years in serving first responders and that leadership over the decades has been earned by co-developing our purpose-built vehicles and technologies with police and emergency agencies to make our vehicles the number one choice,” he continued.
“By taking away our Police Interceptors, we would be doing harm to their safety and making it harder for them to do their job,” Hackett added. “Again, this is why, given our insights, new capabilities and leadership, I believe these unfortunate circumstances present Ford with an even greater opportunity to not only innovate new solutions but also leverage our unique position to support the dialogue and reform needed to create safer communities for all.”
PJ Media provided a shortened translation of Hackett’s memo: “No. We’re not going to stop making police cars. Now get back to work.” The employee letter is typical of the anti-police mindset, ever since the Black Lives Matter movement seized upon the slaying of George Floyd.
The anti-police movement has done a lot of damage as cities that cowered to “defund the police” have witnessed a skyrocketing of crime. Los Angeles Times reported homicides were up 46.7% while shooting victims were up 51.4%, according to police data. New York City’s murder rate shot up by 47 percent. Axios reported gun violence exploded in Chicago, with some neighborhoods seeing over a 100% increase in fatal shootings.
“And let’s be clear about another part of this. Police cars have nothing at all to do with the militarization of police equipment, which happened mostly during the Obama years as a side effect of the wars overseas,” PJ Media reported.
“Police cars also have nothing to do with dealing with bad police officers or reforming certain practices. Police cars are basic tools of the job of keeping our streets as safe as possible,” they added. “The activists behind ‘defund the police‘ evidently don’t care about any of that at all.”
