Saturday, February 25, 2012

New Cars!

  • The Chicago Police Department will purchase 500 Ford Interceptor sedans and SUV’s over the next five years built at a South Side plant that recently added a third shift and 1,200 jobs, Mayor Rahm Emanuel said Friday.

    “We not only have the cars built here in Chicago, designed here in Chicago. We’re gonna put our money where our mouth is. We’re gonna order the cars here from this plant,” Emanuel told a news conference at the Ford assembly plant at 12600 S. Torrence.

    The mayor noted that production of the Interceptor — designed to replace the old Crown Victoria as a police staple — was “consolidated from Canada” at the Torrence Avenue plant. That accounted for 230 of the 1,200 new jobs.

And look! Rahm is claiming a bunch of new jobs, too. Still no word on how any of the G8/NATO crap is actually going to benefit Chicago economically though.

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57 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

At $35,000 a vehicle, man we got the police discount.. NOT!!!! How do you commit to buy 500 vehicles and pay sticker price?
The city is going to have to spend another $3500-5000 to make them "street" ready, lights, sirens, cages, computer mounts, etc.

2/25/2012 12:06:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Now who will be the hooked up dealer the city buys them from? The last one wasn't even in chicago.

2/25/2012 12:06:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

That's only one hundred cars per year. Spread that across 22 districts that are already short cars at change times where shifts overlap. Doesn't add up to much if you ask me. Not to mention the cars that are currently beyond repair still being used every day. More political sattire that the media is soewing.

2/25/2012 12:11:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ford can crank them out as fast as we can burn and wreck them. We will never run out of them, money maybe, but Ford production, never.

Their holding lots are already starting to fill up with them.

They come in regular or all wheel drive, and you just know we will buy the wrong ones.

Other cities are already buying them.

Giddy-up, it's pony time!

2/25/2012 12:22:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I just have one question. How many employees of that ford plant have been locked up by cpd? I know that locked up a solid half dozen men claiming to work there and have had contact with quite a few others. Now theyre gonna be making our cars. A couple loose bolts here or there wont be noticed, this is not gonna be good.

2/25/2012 12:42:00 AM  
Anonymous Ald. Beavers said...

Hi, alderman beavers here again. Can I please turn the sirens on and honk the horn??? I suddenly have a craving for pineapple upside down cake.

2/25/2012 12:50:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Those Fords are about the same size as the tiny Caprices we have now. Will all the equipment installed in them theres hardly any room left even for a racing jockey

2/25/2012 12:51:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This is a good decision. Kudos Rahm!

2/25/2012 01:24:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Great idea! It is about time!

2/25/2012 02:30:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Here we go with the new jobs numbers that they pull out of the azzes.

What about the 350 old jobs that were just cut at ADM this week and the 100 jobs cut at Sears HQ and the 1,800 job cuts at sixteen other companies in the last week or so?

Don't you just love how the big, "new jobs" numbers play in the headlines because most people don't read beyond them?

Oh yeah it's like we're creating 10,000 new jobs...and in the fine print it reads (over the next 100 years or so).

Yeah I'm exaggerating but it's not far from the truth.

Like the thousands of welding jobs the mayor talked about that will fail to materialize.

Governor Quinn is cutting.. what was it again ? 19,000 jobs as part of his Medicare/Medicaid cuts and the good ol' mayor is boasting a quarter of a billion dollar city college campus that he claims will create "8,000 much needed health care jobs" OVER THE NEXT 8 YEARS!

Yeah maybe eh? God willing and the creek don't rise hahahah.

Look at the number. We're suppose to believe from this propaganda that unemployment is falling and we're back to let the good times roll.

I ask you how can they predict what is going to happen over the next eight years when they can't even predict tomorrow or even properly count the number of jobs created or lost over the past eight years! How?

High speed computers with gigahertz processing speed, terabytes of memory, and networks running over fiber optics at the speed of light and we have to deal with obfuscation and lies to fit a political agenda when it comes to this data using estimates instead of real-time numbers.

Tell me what's wrong with this picture?

Our employed non-farm payroll workforce hasn't increased over the last 11 year -- that's what is wrong with this picture.

The wages of these "new jobs" being created are poverty non-career non-living wage jobs that require food stamps and the hope that your local politicians picks and chooses you as worthy of receiving them. That's what is wrong with this picture.

Your hard work, your education does not matter. It's who you know. You have to know the people doing the picking and choosing. That's all.

Five hundred cars over five year. Don't get your hopes too high.

First off, as a city politician you have to inflate that number to create an atmosphere that things are getting better -- it's an election year.

After the election you can cut that number and play the hero "saving" the taxpayers money.

That's 100 per year if evenly spread out and we don't even know if that's the case.

For all we know when they say over the next five years that could mean that the brass gets a new car each year for the next five years, and then, if we're lucky and the orders are not cancelled "to save" the other 450 cars will be purchased in 2017...maybe...or cancelled

Yeah.. they're patting themselves on the back. Believe it when you see it. They're not buying 500 cars tomorrow like we want to believe.

Nevertheless, as gasoline is currently hitting four dollars a gallon and soon to be five we will see how smart a move bailing out these old broken down twentieth century technologies were.

A bunch of cruiser that we cannot afford the gasoline for.

2/25/2012 02:49:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Next time there is an auto show, go sit in one of these new Interceptors.

If you are a big guy = you won't fit.

Very cramped front seating area.

The windshield has a weird design to it that prevents you from a full view.

But that is just my opinion.

2/25/2012 04:04:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

im no fan of rahm but ordering these vehicles from a chicago plant was a good move, and his only move. im believe he had no choice because i think the torrence plant is the only plant making these cars. at least we are getting 4 wheel drive. tahoes suck (loud fart noise)

2/25/2012 05:16:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

500 over 5 years will almost be close to the amount that get totaled in that same amount of time just driving around the city.

2/25/2012 05:32:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

First order for 100:
23 District Commanders
6 or so Detective Commanders
15 or so Deputy Chiefs and above
12 or so to other administrative bosses like directors, etc.

That leaves, what? 10 or so going to the street?

2/25/2012 07:22:00 AM  
Anonymous EMMD retired said...

Impala experiment, FAIL! Tahoe experiment, FAIL! Finally the city is getting back to the Ford cars and SUV's. Now the question is will the old traditional Chicago squadrol begin to reappear instead of those cargo vans?

2/25/2012 07:46:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

What? No Priuses or Volts?

2/25/2012 08:27:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sure money fro new cars since the dept. is down over 4,000.

2/25/2012 08:39:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

...with all the equipment installed in them there's hardly any room left even for a racing jockey...


but Rahm would have to move the seat all the way forward!

2/25/2012 08:55:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

We won't be getting the suv's in the district, and as a reminder of last years blizzard they won't be 4x4 either. Tiny 9.5 probably sat in the sedan version and said "there's a lot of room in here!"

2/25/2012 09:13:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The Fords have the console shifter. Do your squads use computers? Where is that going to go?

2/25/2012 10:09:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The problem is, we need anywhere from 400- 500 cars a year, otherwise the taxpayers get shafted for very high repair bills trying to keep klunkers on the street. Buts thats OK, since the pols have all the repair contracts tied up. Too bad the money really doesn't go for repairs.
I did speak to a person in fleet, Rhams people just do not listen or care.
Also, what happened to the money already allocated for the now canceled Tahoes?? That alone should pay for 500 cars up front.

2/25/2012 10:21:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

2/25/2012 12:22:00 AM

Anonymous said...
I just have one question. How many employees of that ford plant have been locked up by cpd? I know that locked up a solid half dozen men claiming to work there and have had contact with quite a few others. Now theyre gonna be making our cars. A couple loose bolts here or there wont be noticed, this is not gonna be good.

2/25/2012 12:42:00 AM

This might be one of the dumbest comments I have ever read on this site.

2/25/2012 10:24:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

According to ford, the new interceptors have 4in more of interior room than the current crown Vic.

2/25/2012 11:03:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

My favorite car ever was my 1979 Caprice.Bought it used in 85 for high school graduation. Roomy, good visibility,quick enough,could fill it with my buddies. Give it a modern v6 and front wheel drive(all wheel drive is NOT needed in the city) and I think you p.o.'s would have a winner.

2/25/2012 11:12:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

A slap in the face to President Obama, the current CEO of Government Motors?

Rahm is starting to spin the: "I had to take G8. The President insisted." rumor early. It won't save his political career, but I am sure he and his family will live comfortably, with no worries, for the rest of their lives. Vote them out, every last politician. Vote out all incumbents.

2/25/2012 11:51:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I just have one question. How many employees of that ford plant have been locked up by cpd? I know that locked up a solid half dozen men claiming to work there and have had contact with quite a few others. Now theyre gonna be making our cars. A couple loose bolts here or there wont be noticed, this is not gonna be good.

2/25/2012 12:42:00 AM

Paranoia?

2/25/2012 11:52:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

As long as it has am and fm stations to listen to music and ballgames!

I have de-policed!

2/25/2012 12:07:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
im no fan of rahm but ordering these vehicles from a chicago plant was a good move, and his only move. im believe he had no choice because i think the torrence plant is the only plant making these cars. at least we are getting 4 wheel drive. tahoes suck (loud fart noise)

2/25/2012 05:16:00 AM


I love the Tahoes. They are the best police vehicle I have driven in many years. One or two days a year the officers who can't drive in Chicago in the winter have problems. I don't have problems. Great police car.

2/25/2012 12:09:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

i just knew people would be bitching about even this.jeez

2/25/2012 12:55:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

here is the car we are getting. They are junk. Very small, not ideal for a 10-4 car. Decent if your riding for yourself.. but again... If your over 6ft tall with a cage you will not be comfortable at all... also, front wheel drive with heavy breaking in a turn is a recipe for disaster which we found with the impalas we got... numerous crashes with the impalas that involved heavy breaking in a turn. squad cars need to be rear wheel drive. otherwise its too unsafe.

2/25/2012 12:57:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Bring back the bubble Chevy. Loved that car.

2/25/2012 01:17:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

They are very good cars designed specifically to be police cars, but they were not designed here. They were designed in Detroit and tested in the south west Californian desert test track. Emanuel u just talk talk talk

2/25/2012 01:46:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

no money for more cops though huh

2/25/2012 01:47:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I wonder which one of Rahms friends will benefit from this. meet the new boss, same as the old boss...

2/25/2012 02:42:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Not a bad move ordering and keeping the business in the Chicago economy. Rumor has it that the State Police are going back to Chevy, at least that is the state bid and they are made in Australia. Thanks for keeping the jobs here Quinn.

2/25/2012 03:29:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"The Chicago Police Department will purchase 500 Ford Interceptor sedans and SUV’s OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS..."

Pathetic, transparent little prick of a run-and-hide Mayor, pulling this factoid out like it's going to reassure people about the imminent G8 disaster.

Man. Just like someone here said, the Raccoon really is out of cards -- and the table isn't even set up yet.

2/25/2012 03:34:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"I just have one question. How many employees of that ford plant have been locked up by cpd? I know that locked up a solid half dozen men claiming to work there and have had contact with quite a few others. Now theyre gonna be making our cars. A couple loose bolts here or there wont be noticed, this is not gonna be good."

--2/25/2012 12:42:00 AM

You'll notice when the door comes off in your hand.

Think of the Victory Auto Wreckers TV ad, except with the wad of cash being handed over to R.J. Vanecko.

2/25/2012 03:38:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Will there be enough chicken wing oil to rub on all those steering wheels?

2/25/2012 03:54:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

New cars for the exempt. We will get their handmedowns.

2/25/2012 04:06:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I just have one question. How many employees of that ford plant have been locked up by cpd? I know that locked up a solid half dozen men claiming to work there and have had contact with quite a few others. Now theyre gonna be making our cars. A couple loose bolts here or there wont be noticed, this is not gonna be good.

+++++++++++++++++

Paranoia strikes deep.

2/25/2012 04:07:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Second city, can you at least try to make some noise to get the city to ensure the new vehicles are four wheel drive. Maybe the media will pick this up and run with it. They like to read your blog for news stories.

2/25/2012 05:19:00 PM  
Anonymous EMMD retired said...

The Ford vehicles are being ordered through Metro Ford at 65th. & Western. The cars will be dropped shipped at the upfitter's location where they will be fabricated into CPD vehicles. From the upfitter the vehicles will be delivered to the Fleet Management garage at 52nd. & Wentworth for assignment within the police department or as Fleet Management see's fit. Metro Ford will never actually have control of the vehicles only the paperwork. Expect to see executives of other city agencys & departments driving new police interceptors. Worst thing the city ever did was to give Fleet Management control over the "police" vehicles.

2/25/2012 05:40:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I can't wait for the SUV for my cab, it should handle much better in the snow than the Crown Vic does. Flash Cab Abdi will probably buy an old CPD Tahoe and get stuck in the snow, he's not a very smart skinny.

Wolley Cab Agarkor #2512

2/25/2012 07:01:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...

Second city, can you at least try to make some noise to get the city to ensure the new vehicles are four wheel drive. Maybe the media will pick this up and run with it. They like to read your blog for news stories.

2/25/2012 05:19:00 PM
***********************************

According to the Ford website all of the interceptors come with standard "all wheel drive"

2/25/2012 07:21:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

At $35,000 a vehicle, man we got the police discount.. NOT!!!! How do you commit to buy 500 vehicles and pay sticker price?
The city is going to have to spend another $3500-5000 to make them "street" ready, lights, sirens, cages, computer mounts, etc.

if ordered properly these cars will be street ready straight from the factory with only the decals needing to be added. lights, sirens, computers, cages, gun locks etc. are already integrated in these cars which means no bulky after market crap that gets in the way (lights/siren box from the tahoes that shake and squeak). that is of course if no connected vendors have to be greased. this car was designed from the ground up to be a police car.

2/25/2012 07:55:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I can't wait to take my shoes off in my cruiser and read the morning paper with a cup of joe.

2/25/2012 08:19:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Poster who said State of IL bid is with Chevrolet Impala is correct. New 2012 bid just came out last week for Impalas. State buying plan has Tahoes 4x2 also.No Fords for State bid prices. Suburbs will have a lot of these in 2012 unless they can cut separate cheaper deal. Lots of time you have to buy thru State or "low bid" Only the best stuff for us!!!!

2/25/2012 08:36:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I hope they have radioes and cd players like the Tahoes though.

2/25/2012 10:42:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Gee, 4 wheel drive SUV's and Front wheel drive cars, that's just great, hasn't this city learned anything bout front wheel cars, how quick they re torn up, and just wait to our young cowboys think that they are driving BigFoot and try to climb hills with the 4 wheel drive SUV's. great decision making, thesecars will not last a year.

2/25/2012 11:14:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The city is going to have to spend another $3500-5000 to make them "street" ready, lights, sirens, cages, computer mounts, etc.

2/25/2012 12:06:00 AM

No. They will take the equipment off the old squads and duct tape it to the new cars! Buy stock in duct tape! Heard it here first!

2/26/2012 12:01:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Now who will be the hooked up dealer the city buys them from? The last one wasn't even in chicago.

2/25/2012 12:06:00 AM

No Dealer ... Right from the factory

2/26/2012 08:41:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

here is the car we are getting. They are junk. Very small, not ideal for a 10-4 car. Decent if your riding for yourself.. but again... If your over 6ft tall with a cage you will not be comfortable at all... also, front wheel drive with heavy breaking in a turn is a recipe for disaster which we found with the impalas we got... numerous crashes with the impalas that involved heavy breaking in a turn. squad cars need to be rear wheel drive. otherwise its too unsafe.

2/25/2012 12:57:00 PM

Durr?

http://www.ford.com/fordpoliceinterceptor/#/models/sedan

41.9" front leg room - new ford
41.6" front leg room - crown vic

only thing you need to worry about is head room is a bit smaller is .5" smaller in the ford.

2/26/2012 10:47:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ever wonder why Ford stopped makingthe CV in Canada and moved it here?

Tax breaks from the Potato Head?

2/26/2012 03:45:00 PM  
Anonymous EMMD retired said...

Now who will be the hooked up dealer the city buys them from? The last one wasn't even in chicago.

2/25/2012 12:06:00 AM

No Dealer ... Right from the factory

WRONG WRONG WRONG! Metro Ford at 65th. & Western was the winning bider. Metro Ford will be getting a bone off the purchase of each unit.

2/26/2012 08:01:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

from the Sun-Times Comments on this story:

"chicago sam

So Rahm has bought 500 new Police Cars.

No go hire 1,000 Cops to put in those cars.

If I was Ford I wouldn't spend the money until it was in the bank."

"myrights

one question i hope all 500 cars or suvs are running on wind ,solor electric and or natural gas not on gasoline at 8 mpg for the tax payers of chicago,you should have gotten them from government motors they still owe the tax payers of the country money."

"chicago sam

When you need the police we should send them to you on skateboards. Or maybe on foot from the local police station, but gee maybe Rahm closed it down. Rahm and Garry haven't been hiring new police for a long time but they will not tell you that."

"bobby t

This sounds like rahm babys campaign chest get a big donation towards his retirement from ford
They will not save any money on gas used's in that city,I hope they have bullet proof glass."

"chicago sam

Think about it, Richie Daley retired with how many millions in his political campaign chest? Now all he has to do is pay taxes on it as he draws it out. Politicians have the best Golden Parachutes; they even collect their pensions when in jail. No, these vehicles do not have bullet proof anything; just targets painted on the side."

"vinny

From the look of your average police officer I'm thinking that the whole order should be for SUV's. They'll be much easier to get into and out of."

2 replies

"eek!whodat?

...and your point is? oh... you got off a shot at The Police so that's all your tiny mind could entertain at the moment.

sign up and educate the rest of us on how well you could handle 20 to 40+ years of grief, aggravation and having to swallow insult on top of outrage just because you signed up for something bigger than just you... among other things...

another head as a hat rack with web access. you'd be a danger if you truly had an actual informed opinion other than what rahm tells you to spew.

yeah... suv's ARE easier to enter & exit. TWIT!"

"chicago sam

Do YOU want to put on body armor, a gun belt and radio and follow me where we go over the pothole strewn streets and alleys you would never think of going in the middle of the night to fight with some goof who just beat up his baby's mama* or any of the many thousands of other things cops must do in what.... a mini-Cooper."

Stay safe, *ironically the Sun-Times automatically rejected the word, "wife", so I opted for "baby's mama" instead.

2/26/2012 09:00:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Now we need to start a campaign to get the Rahminator to dump his Texas-built Tahoe and get an Explorer as his official car. An Explorer with a big ol' "Made in Chicago" sticker on the back.

Not many mayors can ride around in a car built within their very own city limits and spreading a little pride. What's keeping Rahm from this?

2/27/2012 09:54:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

How refreshing to see that even after 8 years you goofs wil complain about everything. Maybe you should google "Ford Interceptor" and you might learn something about the car all of you are talking about. It is based on the Taurus platform and appears to be a well researched, purpose built police vehicle. I don't know about any of you, but I could never get into a comfortable seating position either in the city Crown Vic or my own Mercury Grand Marquis (same vehicles), it had something to do with the angle of the accelerator and the angle of the floor. After decades of owning large cars, Cadillacs, Chryslers, Buicks and Mercurys, I decided to downsize and try a Taurus. It is at least as comfortable as any car I have ever owned and the front seat legroom is more than sufficient for me, 6-1. It is a well engineered and well built car that does everything you ask of it. Handling is a dream.

Give these cars a chance.

2/27/2012 10:52:00 AM  

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