Paper hires armed guards after mapping gun permits

The Journal News published a map of residents who have handgun permits in two counties, including Westchester County, pictured. / The Journal News/lohud.com

A newspaper just north of New York City that published maps on its website showing the names and addresses of pistol-permit holders in its coverage area has reportedly hired armed guards at one of its offices.

The Journal News, a Gannett Co. Inc. publication based in White Plains, N.Y., hired the armed security guards days after posting the maps in the wake of last month's deadly rampage at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn., the Rockland County Times reported.

According to police reports obtained by the Times, The Journal News' Rockland editor, Caryn McBride, filed at least two police reports after receiving numerous "negative" phone calls and emails about the maps.

One email writer questioned "what McBride would get in her mail now," according to the Times. The police found that email "did not constitute an offense."

The Journal News published the maps for two of the three counties it covers, Rockland and Westchester, and has faced difficulties getting the same information for the third county, Putnam.

The security guards were scheduled to watch the paper's Rockland office through Wednesday, the Times reported.

[JCMEOFF]

The security guards will only be on duty thru Wednesday. Huh.....Maybe thats how long it takes Caryn to get a permit to carry a gun. Funny that she feels threatened while taking upon herself to post and publish innocent persons names and addresses.

[realist9867]

And she's surprised at all the negative feedback for her actions? This editor is a moron. Tell you what Caryn.... how 'bout you post a map of your house online? Oh, you say you haven't done anything to deserve that? Well neither have any of the legal gun owners. What makes you special, Caryn? This editor deserves all she gets out of this turd sandwich she made.

[bobby_j13]

Hey can they publish a list of people with central monitored alarm systems too?
Then all me to cross reference it with gun owners and find the homes with no gun or alarm?
Thanks!

[1pheasant1]

PHDMarty replies:
How exactly is this type of info public information?
___________________________________________________

Somebody with a PHD ought to know this. Are you telling me these gun owners were careless with private information? How did the newspaper gather this information? Do you know what a FOIA request is? Come on, Marty. I hope you know more about the responsibilities of a gun owner than what you've indicated here.

[eyeque2003]

Ironic how the newspaper is now requiring the protection of guns that they so detest...

[darkhorseky]

Yea I know.
It was sad , but a 12 year old Oklahoma girl protected herself with a gun. Home invasion. But stories like that will be buried.

[curtis41]

It looks like the newspaper is following the sound advice of the NRA for public schools, hiring armed guards to protect human lives. My congratulations to the NRA for having an incredible grasp of the obvious, protect human resources, and help save lives. My sense is the newspaper is simply reaping the rewards of outing people with legal gun permits, not to inform citizens, as they claim, but to advance an anti-gun agenda under the guise of perceived public safety. At least the newspaper is smart enough to realize that the best defense for a bad guy with a gun is a good guy for a gun. These distorters of the news are idiots, basically asking Americans to trade self-defense, constitutional rights and personal liberty for the perception of public safety. Luckily, most Americans are not that stupid.

[bndctlee]

Remove guns from law abiding citizens and you're only left with criminals having guns.

Everyone of those houses are a now a burglary target, unfrtunately that's how criminals obtain their guns.

scenario 1.
A drug cartels invades a house extract one family member and telling another family member to do what his told ( i.e carry drugs back to the states) or their other family members will be killed.

In this scenarios, no one is going to protect you and your family in this moments, by the time law enforcement arrived family members has been taken and harmed.

scenario 2.
A drug cartel attempt to invade a house, but this time the family is ARMED citizen and fires a shot and keep the drug wolves at bay.


Although there are things that are happening in the US due to our second amendment rights such as the latest sad unfortunate shooting events.

There are things that can't happen in the US due to our 2nd amendment rights.

[1pheasant1]

Scenario 3
The "drug cartel" throws a hand grenade through your front window.

No, you cannot get a permit for hand grenade possession.

[seabass6251]

Not quite true pheasant.

[Jahzera]

Since when was gun ownership a private matter?

[1pheasant1]

Great question! Are these responsible gun owners so naive that they don't understand this information is public?

[PHDMarty]

Since when is any private information not a public matter? Closet Homosexual that could cause major problems at work? Do they have the right to publish that? How about if you build a "safe room" on your property? You have to file for building permit, so why not list all those that have safe rooms? There are certain things to keep our families safe that concern no one else. The fact they have to use the service of ARMED GUARDS shows exactly how people feel when in fear that is brought on by this irresponsible type of reporting. It also shows what hypocrites they are to run to those with the very reason they are having a problem. With any luck, many who were hired are on that very list they published. POETIC JUSTICE AT IT'S BEST!!

[demiPublius]

What possible purpose did Caryn McBride have in publicly revealing all the permit-holders, in the wake of Sandy Hook, unless to unjustly and unprofessionally smear them with the blood of innocent children?

SHAME on you, Caryn, and shame on The Journal News and Gannett for giving you a position of public trust! How unconscionably unprofessional, and how absolutely pointless!

[1pheasant1]

Nancy Lanza was one of those responsible red dots. The safety of those children never crossed her mind. Get ready, Prepper.

[Type_Z]

My husband showed me a red dotted map of where all the criminals with guns lived.......... it was empty.

[1pheasant1]

Maybe the people with red dots on their home don't know where their guns really are. They should be held accountable, if their guns end up in a criminal's hands.

[PHDMarty]

Of course not. Contrary to popular belief, all guns used in crimes do not all come from within our borders, at least not legally. Our own government is happy to help those from Mexico acquire forbidden guns. 1PHEASANT1 you just proved that very point. If you really believe stricter gun laws will stop this carnage, you have a lot to learn. There are a lot more problems up the line that need to be addressed to stop this from happening. It is going to take some well thought out things to make an impact. Guns are very far done the list. Anti-gun China has much stricter gun laws than we do and they have seen a jump in school attacks since 2010. Quit looking at knee jerk ideas to solve a problem and look at the why it is happening. The tool used is far from the cause and people much smarter than us already know that.