Re:Dallas police lose 8TB of data, impacting criminal cases
by ashtonkem on Wednesday August 18, 2021 @12:20AM
(#28217745)
I’m inclined to agree. I think by the time destroying evidence makes sense we’re already talking about a precinct burning (in which case the fire will do it anyways), or a revolution (in which case it doesn’t matter). Maybe there are some other cases out there, but it seems a bit silly imho.
Either way, it’s pretty clear that Precinct 2 never got anywhere close to such a convoluted hypothetical. That leaves the question why they did it, to which I believe the Roman jurors said it best: cui bono?
The police are fundamentally different from the US Marines in almost all ways, in practice and in reality.
My position is that there is NEVER a situation where it makes more sense for the police to devote manpower to destroying evidence over restoring order. Police agencies shredding files on the way out the door are, historically, not doing it to protect anyone but themselves.