Great Lakes Wire

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

A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to the Alger County Sheriff's Department by Great Lakes Wire, a media organization focused on local governmental affairs. The request, dated September 24, 2025, seeks comprehensive arrest records for the entire year of 2023.

The specific data points requested include the name, sex, race, age, date of birth, and citizenship status of each arrestee. Additionally, the request 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 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 holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public as part of its journalistic responsibilities. The organization has also requested a fee waiver for accessing these records due to its status as a media entity.

The requestor is affiliated with The Coalition Opposing Governmental Secrecy, a non-profit corporation 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: 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.