Passive-Aggressive Strategic Incompetence

A deliberate and calculated behavior exhibited by an organization or its members, particularly law enforcement agencies, where they feign misunderstanding or lack of capability to fulfill a legal or formal request for information. This tactic is employed as a means of evasion to avoid accountability, transparency, or the disclosure of information that could implicate the organization in illegal activities or misconduct. It is characterized by an outward appearance of cooperation or innocence, masking an intentional effort to obstruct justice or the rightful access to information. This behavior is passive-aggressive in nature because it avoids direct confrontation or refusal while actively working against the requester's aims to uncover truth or obtain justice.

This definition encapsulates the manipulative and obstructive nature of the behavior, emphasizing its purpose as a strategy to evade legal and moral responsibilities.

The police department's refusal to provide the requested documents, coupled with their pretense of not understanding the clear terms of the FOIA request, is a classic case of passive-aggressive strategic incompetence designed to shield themselves from scrutiny.