Great Lakes Wire

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

A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to the Ionia County Sheriff's Office by Great Lakes Wire, a media organization focused on local governmental affairs. The request seeks comprehensive arrest records for the entire year of 2023, covering a range of specific data points.

The requested information includes details such as the arrestee's name, sex, race, age, date of birth, and citizenship status. Additionally, it asks for booking IDs, dates of arrest, booking photos, names of arresting officers, types and locations of crimes committed, and dates of these crimes. This information is sought in an electronic format under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act § 15.231 et seq.

Great Lakes Wire emphasizes its role in gathering and reporting news to the public and underscores the importance of access to public records for transparency and accountability in public institutions. As part of their request, they have asked for a fee waiver based on their status as a media organization.

The requestor is affiliated with The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy, a non-profit organization that aids media companies and advocacy groups in investigating governmental agencies through FOIA requests. More information about this coalition can be found on their website here.

Our team will continue to keep you updated as we gather and report news related to this request and other matters of public interest. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need further clarification regarding this matter.