Maybe Apple and other tech companies would help the government and law enforcement agencies if they hadn't such a bad track record?
The bad track record in that there appears to be no accountability for law enforcement agencies, including inntelligence agancies.
Once a technology (say surveilance) becomes available - it will be used. Not only against foreign citizens or nations, but US citizens, too.
Ontop of that - they actively undermine security standards. There's also hypocricy where other countries ( say china) gets accused of all sort of crimes against freedom/privacy, just to find out it is the US thats the biggest offender.
All in all, the US government and associated agencies have a serious image problem. They need a man on Mars right now ! - because people are sick and tired of the whole post 9/11 FUD.
People WANT to associate something positive with their government. But they not gettng what they want.An iPhone instead can bring a lot of joy.
And when seach warrants where invented 200 years ago - they probably had 'searching someones premises' in mind. Not reverse engineering phone encryption.
If that iphone was a house - the FBI would love to kick in that door, scream at people and pin them on the floor.... Here's that image problem again.
They must hate asking Apple for help....