Ex-Burglars: Newspaper’s Gun Map Would Assist Some Crooks

January 7, 2013 by

Ex-Burglars Newspaper's Gun Map Would Assist Some CrooksThe information published online by the Journal-News, a daily paper serving the New York suburbs of Westchester, Rockland and Putnam counties, could be highly useful to thieves in two ways, former burglars told FoxNews.com. Crooks looking to avoid getting shot now know which targets are soft and those who need weapons know where they can steal them.

‘Most asinine article’

“That was the most asinine article I’ve ever seen,” said Walter T. Shaw, 65, a former burglar and jewel thief who the FBI blames for more than 3,000 break-ins that netted some $70 million in the 1960s and 1970s. “Having a list of who has a gun is like gold – why rob that house when you can hit the one next door, where there are no guns?”

The newspaper published the online map last month alongside an article titled, “The gun owner next door: What you don’t know about the weapons in your neighborhood.” The map included the names and addresses of pistol permit holders in Westchester and Rockland counties obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.


‘Exceptionally stupid’

While the paper ostensibly sought to make a point about gun proliferation in the wake of the school shooting in Newtown, Conn., the effort backfired. A blogger reacted with a map showing where key editorial staffers live and some outraged groups have called for a boycott of parent company Gannett’s national advertisers. Ironically, the newspaper has now stationed armed guards outside at least one of its offices.

“They just created an opportunity for some crimes to be committed and I think it’s exceptionally stupid,” said Bob Portenier, 65, a former burglar and armed house robber turned crime prevention consultant. “That’s one of the first things we’d check out—guns are on the top of the list of what you want to steal,” he said. “They can walk out with a shotgun and a couple of handguns and sell them on the street for $300 or $400 a pop. They can sell them to a gangbanger who ends up killing someone.”

Do you own a gun right now? What can you say about the Journal’s gun map?

Source: Jana Winter, Fox News

Image: NPR

Filed Under: Everything Else Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Newspaper Faces Backlash For Publishing Names And Addresses Of Gun Permit Holders

December 27, 2012 by

Newspaper Faces Backlash For Publishing Names And Addresses Of Gun Permit HoldersAn interactive map showing the names and addresses of all handgun permit holders in New York’s Westchester and Rockland counties has infuriated many readers since it was posted Saturday on a newspaper’s .

‘Publicly available information’

The map, published by The Journal News, allows readers to zoom in on red dots that indicate which residents are licensed to own pistols or revolvers. It had prompted more than 1,700 comments as of Wednesday morning. Blue dots indicate permit holders who “have purchased a firearm or updated the information on a permit in the past five years.”

Some of those responding threatened to cancel their subscriptions or boycott the publication. The paper’s publisher, Janet Hasson, president of the Journal News Media Group, defended the decision in a statement Wednesday.

“One of our roles is to publicly available information on timely issues, even when unpopular. We knew publication of the database (as well as the accompanying article providing context) would be controversial, but we felt sharing information about gun permits in our area was important in the aftermath of the Newtown shootings,” she said.


‘Prompt burglaries’

The map came about in the wake of the massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, The Journal News said. The names and addresses of the two counties’ permit-holding residents were obtained through the Freedom of Information Act.

Still, hundreds of residents were shocked to see their information posted without their being notified. Some said the map would prompt burglaries because thieves are now aware of where weapons might be found. A great majority of readers commenting at CNN.com were opposed to the newspaper’s move, but some defended it on the grounds that the public has a right to know who might own weapons.

What is your stand with regards to gun control policy? Do you think it was improper for The Journal News to publish the information of gun owners online?

Source: KC Maas and Josh Levs, CNN

Image: You Viewed

Filed Under: Everything Else Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
«Older Posts