Great Lakes Wire

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

A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to the Branch County Sheriff's Office by Great Lakes Wire, a media organization dedicated to providing thorough and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs. The request, sent on September 24, 2025, seeks access to all arrest records from January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023. The requested data includes various details such as the arrestee's name, sex, race, age, date of birth, citizenship status, booking ID, date of arrest, booking photo, names of arresting officers, type of crime committed, location of the crime, and date of the crime.

The request emphasizes the importance of accessing public records for media professionals in fulfilling their responsibilities to hold public institutions accountable and ensure transparency. In light of this role in disseminating information to the public, Great Lakes Wire has requested a fee waiver for accessing these records.

The requestor 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 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.