Great Lakes Wire

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

A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted by Great Lakes Wire to the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office in Michigan. The request seeks access to all arrest records from January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023. The requested data includes various details about each arrestee and the circumstances surrounding their arrest.

The specific information requested encompasses the arrestee's name, sex, race, age, date of birth, and citizenship status. Additionally, it seeks the booking ID, date of arrest, booking photo, names of the arresting officers, type of crime committed, location of the crime, and date of the crime.

Great Lakes Wire emphasizes its role as a media organization dedicated to providing comprehensive news coverage on local governmental affairs. They highlight that access to these public records is crucial for holding public institutions accountable and ensuring transparency. The request also mentions a fee waiver eligibility due to their media status.

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 and Sunshine Laws. More information about this coalition can be found on their website: https://stopsecrecy.org/about/.

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.