Feds arrive to inspect police SUV fleet
Experts from Ford also seeking cause of carbon monoxide leaks.
Inspectors for Ford Motor Co. and investigators from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration arrived in Austin on Monday and will be here this week trying to figure out what is causing carbon monoxide to leak into police sport utility vehicles.
The visit will be the second time officials have traveled to Austin since the city in March began reporting that the poisonous gas was leaking into the Ford Police Interceptor utility vehicles, a modified version of Ford Explorers.
Austin has become the epicenter of the problem, which also has been reported in other departments nationally.
City workers spent much of the weekend gathering data for the visit, during which officials also are expected to discuss whether police should continue using the cars before the source of the leaks is determined.
They also will try to learn whether the issue is due to how the cars are manufactured or if the city might be modifying the cars in a way that causes the problem.
“The Austin Police Association is pleased to see Ford Motor Co. and the federal government coming to investigate,” Ken Casaday, president of the police union, said Sunday. “Even though we feel this has taken way too long, we are ready to find the cause of these leaks. Officers and their families have suffered way too long and need resolution.”
A police officer, Sgt. Zach-
ary LaHood, was seriously injured in March and remains on medical leave.
Since then, the city has reported more than 40 instances in which carbon monoxide detectors were activated among its fleet of nearly 400 interceptors. LaHood is suing Ford. Ford said in a statement Sunday, “We take the safety of our customers very seriously and we are visiting Austin again to continue our investigation into this matter.”