Developing: Pakistani Plane Escorted by UK Fighter Jets — 2 Men Arrested

Doc Thompson’s 24-hour radio marathon, ‘#24forok,’ continues until 9 am ET — Listen Live!

Business

Newspaper That Published The Names & Addresses of Gun Owners Hires Armed Guards

Jan. 1, 2013 11:22pm Becket Adams

The Gannett-owned newspaper that caused a stir by printing the personal information of registered gun owners in New York’s Westchester, Rockland, and Putnam counties has discovered that it’s no fun having your personal information exposed to the entire world.

Responding to a national backlash over their decision to publish an interactive map with the names and addresses of registered gun owners, the editorial staff at Gannett’s Journal News has hired armed guards to watch over their building.

“A Clarkstown police report issued on December 28, 2012, confirmed that The Journal News has hired armed security guards from New City-based RGA Investigations and that they are manning the newspaper’s Rockland County headquarters … through at least tomorrow, Wednesday, January 2, 2013,” the County Times reports.

Journal News Rockland Editor Caryn A. McBride said she was genuinely surprised to discover that publishing a map with the names and addresses of gun owners would result in “negative correspondence,” that is, an “avalanche” of angry phone calls and emails, police reports note.

“Due to apparent safety concerns, the newspaper then decided to hire RGA Investigations to provide armed personnel to man the location,” the County Times report adds.

But even though they’ve successfully outraged thousands of private citizens, there have been no problems reported at the Journal News headquarters “despite the massive influx of phone calls and emails,” Private investigator Richard Ayoob told the Clarkstown Police Friday.

“McBride had filed at least two reports with the Clarkstown Police Department due to perceived threats. However, the police did not find the communications in question actually threatening,” the report adds. “Incident-Report 2012-00033099 describes McBride telling police she was worried because an email writer wondered ‘what McBride would get in her mail now.’”

The email did not “constitute an offense” and didn’t have an actual threat, police said.

It all started after Journal News decided to publish a map with the names and addresses of legal gun owners in two New York counties.

The map was included in an article entitled “The gun owner next door: What you don’t know about the weapons in your neighborhood,” that was released shortly after a shooting spree in Newtown, Conn., claimed 26 lives, including 20 children.

“Some 44,000 people are licensed to own pistols in the three counties, the newspaper said. Owners of rifles and shotguns do not need permits,” Reuters notes.

And even after a pro-Second Amendment blogger retaliated by publishing the personal information of Journal News staffers, the Gannet newspaper decided to double down and release even more personal information on New York permit holders.

Journal News Gets Freaked Out Over Response to Gun Map, Hires Armed Guards

After the newspaper launched its ‘gun owners’ map, pro-Second Amendment blogger Robert Cox retaliated by releasing a map with the names & addresses of ‘Journal News’ employees.

“Further names and addresses will be added as they become available to a map originally published on December 24 in the White Plains, New York-based Journal News,” the newspaper announced last week.

Sen. Greg Ball (R-N.Y.) has announced plans to introduce legislation that would keep the names and addresses of gun owners private except to law enforcement.

“The asinine editors at the Journal News have once again gone out of their way to place a virtual scarlet letter on law abiding firearm owners throughout the region,” the senator’s website reads.

No word yet on whether Journal News plans to release the names and addresses of its armed guards.

Follow Becket Adams (@BecketAdams) on Twitter

Featured image courtesy AP.

In CONTROL, Glenn Beck presents a passionate, fact-based case for guns that reveals why gun control isn’t really about controlling guns at all; it’s about controlling us. Find out more HERE.

Back to The Blaze »

Comments (256)

rochrealtor
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 9:12am
Greg Ball is a Liberal in sheep clothing trying “not let a good crisis go to waste.” This paper I don’t know, but if it is like the Gannett here in Rochester NY, cancel you subscriptions. These liberal fools think people care about what they write. Send them the message “you have had enough.” They are giving the paper away here to try to boost readership levels! Obviously misguided and out of touch.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Uechi
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 9:07am
Amazing that these anti-gun clowns can have armed security for their protection but the rest of us are some how toothless, ignorant, angry fools for having firearms for our defense. The absolute height of arrogance from elitists lefties and parr for the course.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
jessieH
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 9:02am
Are the guards on the list? Now that the newscrapper has hired armed guards, shouldn’t they be on their own list?

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Justreality4us
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 8:53am
The guards that were hired should all only have cell phones to dial 911 with in the event of a problem. The armed guards (good guys with guns) is what the NRA is suggesting to protect against Bad guys.

Oh wait this is liberal hypocrisy where you don’t count and they do. Its all part of their national tolerance for them self and not us program.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
WTF
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 8:44am
Hates guns, hires armed guards to protect his home. Things that make you go hmmmm

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
loriann12
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 8:15am
I wonder what the press would do if someone posted all the names and addresses of households that DON’T own a gun? I don’t LEGALLY own a gun, but boy are they going to be surprised when they bust down my door.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
joeslick
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 8:03am
Did they hire “good guys with guns” to protect them FROM “good guys with guns”???? What idiots.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
lgccac
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 8:02am
How does the old saying go? “Do as i say, not as I do.”

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
ares338
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 7:55am
I have a CHL and I keep it to myself but if it became known it would be no skin off of my fat honkie ass. I hate newspapers anyway.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Cape_Lookout_RW_Extremist
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 7:50am
So if you lose a few journalist is the world better or worse off?

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Independant
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 7:46am
So this newspaper has accomplished two things.
1. This list now shows criminals which house do not have guns protecting them.
2. It shows criminals where to go in order to steal guns if they need them.

Not very smart for a newspaper. All it will take is for one person to be robbed and the criminal to say I did it because this house was not on the list of having a gun.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- loriann12
  Posted on January 2, 2013 at 8:18am
  Of course, if they’re wrong, and a criminal breaks in and gets shot, will HIS family sue because the paper said that house did’t have a gun?
  
  Report this comment
- BehindBlueEyes
  Posted on January 2, 2013 at 9:07am
  The real stupid part of this story is the government considers it public information if you own a gun. Its none of the public’s business if I own a gun.
  
  Report this comment
tomcatfromtexas
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 7:37am
I guess this Paper and it reporters and editors are not so anti gun after all. I would have thought they would have armed these guys with sharp sticks or stones. I would not be surprised if there were no ammo for their wepons like the state dept. does with there US Army gaurds. Let me know when the citizens are ready to arrest congress, extreme court judges, every Lawer and government worker in Washington PC. and send them prison for treason. I would like to join that political party. America diserves these people. As a Nation the USA is doomed.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
PoliticalSmackdown {Subscribe & Friend me on YouTube}
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 7:23am
this news papers entire subscriber Database just got hacked all of their user have now been compromised Expect a new map of all of there info to be released as well as a whole lot of spam for them. CHECK MATE!

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Apple Bite
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 7:09am
Would they ever do the same for those that have STDs? You’re more likely to catch a STD, than a legally licensed gun owner shooting you.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Rats56
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 7:04am
she just blew her raise this year!

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Hoax And Chains
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 6:52am
By their own, hypocritical mentality, shouldn’t they just post “gun-free zone” signs? They are hypocrites and cowards.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
BehindBlueEyes
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 6:31am
Journal News Rockland Editor Caryn A. McBride said she was genuinely surprised to discover that publishing a map with the names and addresses of gun owners would result in “negative correspondence,”

You’ve got to be kidding.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Hyata
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 6:00am
The management at this paper are hypocrites and cowards!

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
dimart
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 5:33am
And so are they now going to put up a marker for their own building, or doesn’t it count when you hire someone with a gun? Do you think they see the irony here?

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- Hoax And Chains
  Posted on January 2, 2013 at 6:53am
  I wonder how many of the armed security are on the gun owner’s map…
  
  Report this comment
RAYMOND169
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 5:15am
Iam one of the gun owners that live in westchester what we must do is just stop delivery of the paper . I did..

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
bava
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 5:12am
Ironic, yes. Understandable, yes. I can just imagine how many death threats they got from law-abiding freaks like you good folks. None of you bothered to ask yourself why they felt they suddenly had to do this. That would be an awkward question for most of you. That would rquire some soul seaching which requires a soul.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- GodFamilyFriends
  Posted on January 2, 2013 at 5:53am
  I guess you didn’t bother reading the article. “McBride had filed at least two reports with the Clarkstown Police Department due to perceived threats. However, the police did not find the communications in question actually threatening,” Take the time and read. You might learn something. Facts always confuse you people.
  
  Report this comment
- GodFamilyFriends
  Posted on January 2, 2013 at 5:57am
  It also shows the character of law abiding gun owners. Your perception sounds like it was fed to you.
  
  Report this comment
tothepoint
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 5:10am
You can’t make this stuff up, folks.
The hypocrisy of the anti-gun folks remains astonishing.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
PAUL GULLO
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 5:10am
I want to see the emails. I don’t believe a word they say.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
nzkiwi
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 4:21am
What’s that about, Monk?

I’m guessing that the Blaze has pulled a comment (again) leaving most of us in the dark.

Can you fill us in?

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
SilverSalmon27
Posted on January 2, 2013 at 4:16am
Typical socialist mentality. They can’t imagine that any normal person would disagree with them. I certainly don’t want any of those newspaper folks to be injured, but I do hope that they are getting the message. Alas, socialists are pretty dense.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply

It appears that you have Javascript Disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser preferences for a better user experience on TheBlaze. You can not comment without Javascript enabled.