[Third party] Volkswagen’s car tracking firm demanded $150 to renew expired subscription to help police locate stolen car with abducted boy inside.

[Fabulous50s]

Good, then talk to each other......

 

[KrisZ]

One cannot be forced to co-operate with police or any other government agency.
No event, no matter how tragic, should be used to take this right away.

 

[Fla]

Phone companies in particular do a lot of business with the government.

That's true but with the state and Federal Governments and not some hick PD. The US Constitution, case law and, most if not all, State Constitutions are all very clear on this; the GOV at every level needs a Search Warrant signed by a judge to get information about a person from a third party. Regardless of the circumstances.

If they request information and the company gives it to them without requring a warrant then the company is putting itself at a legal risk. Some companies will give out information without a Warrant but they are NOT legally required to do so.

The Lake Mary (Florida) PD fired one of it's officers a few years ago and had his police certification revoked when they caught him using their computers to look up the home address and other personal information of a woman there. I'll add that she was was not under any kind of investigation, just someone he was "interested in".