A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was sent to the Waukegan Police Department in Illinois on December 12, 2024. The request was made by the Lake County Gazette, a media organization committed to providing comprehensive and accurate news coverage on local governmental affairs.
In our quest for transparency and accountability, we sought access to arrest records from January 1, 2018, up until the present date. The requested data fields include the arrestee's name, arrest date, gender, race, date of birth, and the crime committed.
As a media organization involved in gathering and reporting news to the public, we underscored that access to these public records is essential for us to fulfill our professional responsibilities. These responsibilities include holding public institutions accountable and providing transparency to the public.
We also highlighted our eligibility for a fee waiver as a media professional due to our role in disseminating information.
We await the Waukegan Police Department's response and will continue our efforts in bringing comprehensive coverage of local government affairs to our readers at Lake County Gazette.
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