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Commission declines to affirm FOIA denial over Signal app; public evidence and calls for further review follow
Summary
The Battle Creek City Commission voted not to affirm a prior denial of FOIA request 25-1183 seeking names of detectives who used the Signal messaging app; the motion to uphold the denial failed after public testimony and discussion.
The Battle Creek City Commission considered Resolution 132, which would have affirmed the denial of FOIA request number 25-1183. The FOIA request sought a list of names of Battle Creek police detectives who used the Signal messaging app during investigations. The motion to affirm the denial failed.
Autumn Smith, who identified herself as the requester, told the commission she had submitted FOIA 25-1183 and alleged the city denied the request by asserting no such records existed. She said she possessed “direct evidence” — printed Signal chat messages — naming members of the detective bureau and showing instructions to delete the chats, and she asked the commission to investigate and to direct the city manager and FOIA coordinator to re-evaluate the denial.
“They lied twice about the existence of public records,” Smith said in…
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