A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was sent to the Cass County Sheriff's office on January 7, 2025. The request was made by us at West Central Reporter, a media organization dedicated to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs.
In the request, we asked for access to all arrest records from the year 2024 under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, 5 ILCS 140. We specified that we would prefer these records in an electronic format.
The specific fields requested for each arrest record include the arrestee's name, arrest date, gender, race, date of birth, and the crime committed.
As a media organization, we emphasized our role in gathering and reporting news to the public. Access to public records is crucial for us to fulfill our professional responsibilities which include holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public. In light of this role in disseminating information, we stated our belief that we are eligible for a fee waiver as a media professional.
We are committed to ensuring transparency and accountability in our local government institutions and will continue seeking information that serves this purpose.