The Ford Motor Co. is the second-largest U.S. automaker, but the biggest seller of police vehicles.Â
Ford controls more than half the police vehicle market in the U.S., and has since at least 2014, the company told CNBC, citing IHS data. The Ford Police Interceptor Utility, which is the police package version of the Ford Explorer SUV, accounts for a great deal of that.Â
In July, CEO Jim Hackett had to address concerns from his own employees about Ford's sales to police departments, at a time when law enforcement agencies around the country are under intense scrutiny and criticism.
Ford's fleet sales are a small share of the company's total business, but they provide a steady income for an automaker in an otherwise highly cyclical business.Â
Ford has been selling vehicles equipped with dedicated police packages to departments since 1950. And despite the controversy, some industry analysts don't think Ford is likely to abandon its police vehicle program anytime soon.Â