NYPD counter-terrorism head says Apple's encryption aids criminals

The head of counter-terrorism for the NYPD has said that Apple's encryption efforts provide aid to kidnappers, murderers, and other criminals. Speaking during a radio interview, Deputy Police Commissioner John Miller joined a chorus of law enforcement officials that have slammed Apple's encryption practices in light of the company's issues with the FBI, saying that criminals are praising the encryption because law enforcement can't crack it.

From The New York Daily News:

"You are actually providing aid to the kidnappers, robbers and murderers who have actually been recorded on the telephones in Riker's Island telling their compatriots on the outside, 'You gotta get iOS 8. It's a gift from God,' — and that's a quote — 'because the cops can't crack it.'"

Miller, along with a large portion of the law enforcement community, have previously praised Apple for security features like Activation Lock, which was introduced in 2013 with iOS 7. As noted by AppleInsider, Activation Lock, which allows users to remotely lock their phone using their iCloud credentials, was widely praised by law enforcement as increasing customer security. The NYPD even went so far was to encourage owners of Apple devices to upgrade to iOS 7 to get the feature.