N.Y. county aims to keep gun permits from paper

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

Updated at 3:03 p.m. ET

CARMEL, N.Y. Officials in Putnam County have refused a newspaper's request to release the names and addresses of residents with pistol permits — a move an open government advocate calls illegal.

County Clerk Dennis Sant cited concerns about the safety of permit holders with protection orders as among the reasons for turning down a request from the Journal News.

In December, the newspaper published online maps that allow viewers to see the names and addresses of pistol and revolver permit holders in neighboring Westchester and Rockland counties. The newspaper sought the records under the state Freedom of Information Law after the school shooting in Newtown, Conn.

Sant's move was backed by several local elected officials, including County Executive MaryEllen Odell. She called the paper "reckless" and said families would be put at risk if the information was released.

"In Putnam County, I have over 11,000 pistol permit holders, and I refuse to put their lives and their families' lives in danger," Sant told The New York Times. "When these laws were conceived, there was no social media, there was no Google maps."

The Journal News reportedly hired armed guards at one of its offices after receiving numerous "negative" phone calls and emails about the maps.

• Paper hires armed guards after mapping gun permits
• Outrage after NY paper publishes names of gun permit holders

State Sen. Greg Ball referred to Journal News editors as "elitist eggheads" and called the decision to publish the maps "asinine," the Times reported.

"I thank God that Putnam County has a clerk with the guts to stand up and draw the line here in Putnam County," Ball said.

Robert Freeman, executive director of the state's Committee on Open Government, said the suburban county outside New York City would be violating state law if it withholds the information. "The name and address of any gun licensee are public," he said.

The newspaper stands by the project.

"We believe the law is clear that this is public information and the residents of Putnam County are entitled to see it," said Journal News President and Publisher Janet Hasson. "We're troubled that county officials have apparently switched their position since we first requested the information."

Freeman said the Journal News could appeal a denial, which would be heard within Putnam County government. If a second denial occurred, the newspaper could ask a judge to decide.

The Journal News, a Gannett Co. newspaper covering three counties in the Hudson Valley and operating the website lohud.com, ran an 1,800-word story headlined, "The gun owner next door: What you don't know about the weapons in your neighborhood."

The story included comments from both sides of the gun rights debate and presented the data as answering the concerns of those who would like to know whether there are guns in their neighborhood.

On Wednesday, The Journal News reported that emergency officials responded to their office Wednesday afternoon after one of their employees opened an envelope in the mail containing a suspicious white powder.

The newspaper said there were no evacuations and the employee underwent decontamination procedures.

White Plains Public Safety Commissioner David Chong told the newspaper that preliminary tests determined the substance to be non-toxic.

[cityDA]

If this paper can put law abiding gun owners names and location in there paper what stop them from putting names and locations of food stamp recipients or other government information.

[Nose4TheNews]

They should have said, great come see it since you want to access it. BUT you can't take notes, you can't share it, and you can't divulge private information regarding its contents.

[yarnplay]

Those not marked on the map have a reasonable expectation of privacy and did not need to have a target painted on their homes as vulnerable; those with the guns have a reasonable expectation of privacy so their homes are not invaded in their absence for the purpose of stealing their guns. As for the issues of weapons in the home, are we going to remove power tools, knives and cars from the homes to prevent them from injuring people?

Guns should be regulated, but it the consequences of idiot media reporting should also be felt. The paper should be sued, the advertisers boycotted and the editor moved to writing supermarket circulars. Did she really not get that creating this map would expose all of the neighbors, not just the gun owners? Lady go away.

[DownInUSA]

All that reading this has taught me is that Erasmus is a complete and total idiot, totally devoid of any capacity for applying reason or logic.

[TimeToRetire]

Liberals hate deficits under Bush and Obama gives us more of it. Liberals hate racial division and Obama gives us more of it. Liberals hate Gitmo and Obama gives us more of it. Liberals hate the Patriot Act and Obama gives us more of it. Liberals hate corporate money controlling politics and Obama gives us more of it. Liberals hate the Bush tax cuts and Obama gives us more of it. Liberals hate poverty and Obama gives more of it. Liberals hate guns and Obama gives us more of it, even allowing guns in our national parks, something Bush wouldn't even do. Guns are flying off the shelves. Isn't it ironic? If you think about it, Obama is really Bush on steroids.

[TimeToRetire]

Republican,
In chemical engineering, we didn't spend alot of time on spelling. Was English your major? BTW, in your post above, you should use the pronoun "who" for "person", not "that".

[TimeToRetire]

NOBODY,
It is ironic. I used to do to the range to shoot, and there was not one "assault rifle". All people had were pistols and revolvers, and an occasional long rifle. After the Clinton ban on assault rifles, he lifted the guns to the front page. Ordinary people were buying them up. Today when you go to the range, there are more AR-15 and Mini-14 than there are handguns. Once again, liberal policies backfire, pardon the pun.

[Bigolhc]

erasmus111 replies:


When you live somewhere where guns are banned, you don't need anyone to hold your hand! If there are no guns, there's no one going to shoot you!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Move to Mexico if you want to live in a country where guns are banned. See how that works out for you.

[wj0312]

Move to Obama's Hometown, where his good buddy, Rahm Emmanuel, runs the city, a Great Example of what GUN BANS do.

[Ulgnud]

Simply pass a law that holds the media liable if there is any adverse action against lawful gun owners. Some will say it is a free speech issue. Shouting "FIRE" in a crowded movie theater may also be considered free speech but those that do it without actual cause are also held liable for the injuries and possible deaths from the panicked response of the patrons.

[davidjo12]

The list should be made public if that is the law. Criminals should be able to identify which properties to avoid.

[Ulgnud]

With that said it is obvious that gun ownership helps prevent crime.

[bobnjersey]

[Criminals should be able to identify which properties to avoid.]
-------------------------------------------------
or from which ones to steal a weapon to be used in their next crime.

[Jimbo9649]

Here's a suggestion that the paper might find as an appropriate response. I propose that every advertiser be contacted and told that they would be boycotted until they pulled all their advertising from the paper. There are many people who have had their personal information released in order to create a story so the paper can make money by selling papers and advertising. Stop the advertising money and the paper goes away, which is where it belongs.

[omega39-2009]

"In Putnam County, I have over 11,000 pistol permit holders, and I refuse to put their lives and their families' lives in danger,"

But, but, but they have guns to protect themselves, remember?