There's no reason to expect the law to be rational or objective. Why is it a felony when I steal from my employer, but a civil suit when they steal from me?
Because that's what the people who wrote the laws wanted. Applying the same reasoning to this case, I'd be shocked if the courts don't decide that the police have the legal right to reclaim their tracking device.
There’s also a precedent that things like car boots, wheel locks, and windshield barnacles are still property of the state and destroying or tampering with them is a crime. Even if you manage to remove them safely the government still expects the mechanism back.
There's no reason to expect the law to be rational or objective. Why is it a felony when I steal from my employer, but a civil suit when they steal from me?
Because that's what the people who wrote the laws wanted. Applying the same reasoning to this case, I'd be shocked if the courts don't decide that the police have the legal right to reclaim their tracking device.