The White Plains Journal created a huge uproar when it used FOIA info to create an interactive map showing the name and addresses of Westchester and Rockland county’s pistol permit holders. Gun owners considered it a dangerous heads-up to criminals as to which homes had firearms worth stealing. And a bullseye for ex-cons looking for some payback on law enforcement officers who put them away. Despite or because of the outcry, the Gannett-owned paper has promised to publish 44 thousands additional names and addresses. According to Reuters, the Journal will be “outing” gun owners in suburban Putnam County. Journal’s editor and news VP CynDee Royle [above, left] is keeping schtum, standing by her original and only statement. “We knew publication of the database would be controversial, but we felt sharing as much information as we could about gun ownership in our area was important in the aftermath of the Newtown shootings.” I’m sure that doesn’t mean what she thinks it means.
