Password Protected can mean a few different things.
If the phone just has a password screen lock, then it doesn't matter. The police are exporting the data from the cell phone and can examine it at their leisure.
On the other hand, if all of the data on the cell phone is encrypted, and the password allows it to be un-encrypted, then your information is much, much safer from viewing.
I know that the Android 3 operating system allows you to encrypt your data and password protect it, but I've never used the feature. I do know that there is general distrust of encryption capabilities that are built-in with big-name operating systems. Many people are suspicious that the operating system vendor has built in back-doors and will provide access to those back-doors to the government if asked. I don't know if anyone yet makes a 3rd party encryption solution for IOS or Android phones.
—If the phone just has a password screen lock, then it doesn’t matter. The police are exporting the data from the cell phone and can examine it at their leisure. —
I was thinking of it more in a legal sense as mentioned in post 24 (referenced to a locked container) as opposed to a literal sense. I’m thinking of it as being a locked box with a very cheap lock on it. Can the police legally break or pick the lock to examine the contents?