Great Lakes Wire

FOIA Request to Mecosta County Sheriff's Office regarding 2023 arrest records on September 24, 2025.

A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to the Mecosta County Sheriff's Office in Michigan by Great Lakes Wire, a media organization dedicated to covering local governmental affairs. The request, dated September 24, 2025, seeks comprehensive arrest records for the entire year of 2023. The information requested includes various data points such as the name, sex, race, age, date of birth, and citizenship status of arrestees. Additionally, it asks for booking IDs, dates of arrest, booking photos, names of arresting officers, types and locations of crimes committed, and dates of those crimes.

The request emphasizes the importance of access to public records for media professionals in holding public institutions accountable and ensuring transparency. As part of their professional responsibilities in gathering and reporting news to the public, Great Lakes Wire has requested a fee waiver typically available to media professionals under FOIA provisions.

Great Lakes Wire is affiliated with The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy, a non-profit organization that assists media companies and advocacy groups in investigating governmental agencies through FOIA and Sunshine Laws. More information about this coalition can be found on their website at https://stopsecrecy.org/about/.

We look forward to receiving this information in an electronic format as it will greatly aid in our reporting efforts. As always, we remain open for any questions or clarifications regarding this request.