NEW YORK — A newspaper’s publication of the names and addresses of handgun permit holders in two New York counties has sparked some heated online discussions.
The Journal News, a Gannett Co. newspaper covering three counties in the Hudson Valley north of New York City and operating the website lohud.com , posted a story Sunday detailing a public-records request it filed to obtain the information.
The 1,800-word story headlined, “The gun owner next door: What you don’t know about the weapons in your neighborhood,” reports that about 44,000 people in Westchester, Putnam and Rockland counties are licensed to own a handgun, and that rifles and shotguns can be purchased without a permit.
It was accompanied online by maps of the results for Westchester and Rockland counties; similar details had not yet been provided by Putnam County.
A reader clicking on the maps can see the name and address of each pistol or revolver permit holder. Accompanying text states that inclusion does not necessarily mean that an individual owns a weapon, just that he obtained a license.
By Wednesday afternoon, the maps had shared about 30,000 times on Facebook and other social media.
Most online comments have criticized the publication of the data, and many suggest it puts the permit holders in danger because criminals have a guide to places they can steal guns.
Others maintain it tells criminals who does not have a gun and may be easier to victimize, or where to find law enforcement figures against whom they might hold a grudge.
Some responded by publicizing the home addresses and phone numbers of the reporter who wrote the piece, along with other journalists at the paper and even senior executives of Gannett.
The Journal News did not immediately return phone calls seeking comment.
Front Section, Pages 2 on 12/27/2012