DALLAS – After the dismissal of a lawsuit filed by Dallas' former city attorney, Dallas police officials are pushing to end a two-year boycott of Ford Crown Victoria cruisers, according to the Dallas Morning News. The city hasn't bought any Crown Victorias since May 2003 when former City Attorney Madeleine Johnson announced the boycott. She maintained that the cars were unsafe after the death of an officer, whose car exploded after being struck from the rear a year before. With the departure of Johnson and Ford's recent safety improvements to the cruisers, police officials are looking to purchase the vehicles again. Interim City Attorney Tom Perkins said he plans to update the city council in a closed session on the Crown Victoria situation. Lt. Sally Lannom, treasurer of the Dallas Police Executive Lodge, said she wants to ensure the safety of the vehicle but that the city would be hard-pressed to find a more suitable police car. Senior Cpl. Glenn White, president of the Dallas Police Association, which represents more than 85 percent of the department's officers, said he did not have confidence that the Crown Victorias are safe for officers. At least 18 officers nationwide have died due to fuel tank fires sparked by rear-end crashes since police began using the Ford model. Brian Geraghty, Ford's director of design analysis, said the new fire-suppression system will become available this summer. Until the city lifts the boycott, it will continue to buy other police models to update the marked patrol fleet. The city is putting six new Chevrolet Impalas into service.
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