A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was sent to the Edwards County Sheriff's Office on January 7, 2025. The request, made by SE Illinois News, sought comprehensive information about all arrests made in the county during the year 2024.
The specifics of the request included a list of all arrests from January 1, 2024, to December 31, 2024. This list was asked to contain detailed fields such as the arrestee's name, date of arrest, gender, race, date of birth and the crime committed.
As a media organization dedicated to providing accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs, we at SE Illinois News believe that access to public records is crucial for fulfilling our professional responsibilities. These responsibilities include holding public institutions accountable and ensuring transparency for the public.
Given our role in disseminating information to the public and our commitment to journalistic integrity, we requested a fee waiver as a media professional. We await a response from the Edwards County Sheriff's Office regarding this matter and will continue striving for transparency and accountability in our reporting.
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