A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was submitted to the Rock County Sheriff's Department in Wisconsin on October 22, 2024. The request was made by Southern Wisconsin Times, a media organization dedicated to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs.
In the request, we sought all arrest records from January 1, 2024, to the present day. The data points requested for each arrest record include the arrestee's name, sex, race, age, date of birth (DOB), citizenship status, booking ID, date of arrest, booking photo, names of arresting officers, type of crime committed, location of crime and date of crime.
As a news organization committed to transparency and accountability in public institutions, we believe access to these public records is essential for fulfilling our professional responsibilities.
We requested these records under the Wisconsin Open Records Law (§19.31 et seq.), preferably in electronic format. Given our role in disseminating information to the public and holding public institutions accountable for their actions and decisions, we have also asked for a fee waiver as a media professional.
The Southern Wisconsin Times remains committed to keeping the public informed about local governmental affairs and will continue to seek transparency through lawful means such as FOIA requests.
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