Great Lakes Wire

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

A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to the Lapeer County Sheriff's Office by Great Lakes Wire, a media organization focused on local governmental affairs. The request, dated September 24, 2025, seeks access to all arrest records from January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023. The requested data points include arrestee name, sex, race, age, date of birth, citizenship status, booking ID, date of arrest, booking photo, names of arresting officers, type and location of crime, and date of crime.

The request emphasizes the importance of these records for news reporting purposes. As a member of the media tasked with holding public institutions accountable and ensuring transparency for the public, Great Lakes Wire is seeking this information under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act § 15.231 et seq., preferably in electronic format. The organization has also requested a fee waiver due to its role in disseminating information to the public.

Great Lakes Wire 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 details 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.