Back to the idiotic idea by The Journal News to provide the names and a detailed map to local area gun permit owner's homes.
One of those homes have now been broken into and the target appears to have been the home owner's gun safe which have led detectives to say they are investigating whether The Journal News gun map is responsible for the targeting of that home and that gun safe.
Video of the news report below:
"The police are doing a full investigation," the man said through a partially opened front door.
There was broken glass in the backyard Sunday and a ladder leading up to a second-story window. Neighbors on the street of modest, Colonial homes said they had heard about the burglary.
The homeowner's name and address were included recently on the controversial interactive map of gun permit holders in Westchester and Rockland counties published on The Journal News' website.
Neighbor John Mascia said he thought the gun permit database should not have been published.
"I could [not] care less what they have in their home," Mascia said.
Police are investigating what role, if any, the database played in the burglars' decision to target the home, the law enforcement source said.
White Plains police Lt. Eric Fischer confirmed that a burglary occurred but would not release further information Sunday.
Earlier this month it was reported that criminals were using The Journal News' gun map to threaten and target officers who were listed on that map. Also criminals stated that the map could also be used as a means to target the homes not listed on the map because it would allow them to know who had no defense against being burglarized. (More on that on a Jan. 5, 2013 post here at WuA)
Via Hot Air who quotes BuzzFeed, Senator Greg Ball, who represents many of those targeted by the The Journal News gun map, has issued a statement:
The Journal News has placed the lives of these folks at risk by creating a virtual shopping list for criminals and nut jobs. If the connection is proven, this is further proof that these maps are not only an invasion of privacy but that they present a clear and present danger to law-abiding, private citizens. Former convicts have already testified to the usefulness of the asinine Journal News ’gun maps’ yet the reckless editors are evidently willing to roll the dice, gambling with the lives of innocent local homeowners.”
The victim who was targeted on The Journal News gun map, was 70 years old, a law abiding citizen who obtained his gun permit legally, bought his guns legally and was responsible enough to have those guns locked in safe while he was out.
Perhaps The Journal News would like to explain what this elderly man did to deserve having a huge target put on his back by them?
[Update] More from Senator Ball:
Tomorrow, Senator Ball will be publicly unveiling three separate pieces of legislation, all with bipartisan support, among them (S2132), to protect the privacy rights of ordinary citizens; including: law enforcement personnel, victims of domestic violence and private citizens. Let it be clear however, that under Ball’s legislation that has garnered bipartisan kudos and support, law enforcement and all related agencies would continue to have full access to permit information. Senate bill (S2132) would protect lawful gun owners, including thousands of retired and active law enforcement and victim of domestic violence survivors, from having their information publicly disclosed.
“The same elitist eggheads who use their editorial page to coddle terrorists and criminals are now treating law abiding citizens like level three sexual predators. These bills are critical to keep folks safe and fundamentally protect their inherent right to privacy. I hope all of these bills will be brought to the floor for an up or down vote, and allowed to fail or pass on their own merits and not as part of a large, overarching gun-control package. This is not about the Second Amendment; these bills are simply about commonsense and personal privacy. Publishing this information on a website, as we have evidently just witnessed in the recent attempted gun burglary, provides criminals with a map of where they can steal firearms from lawful owners for later use in the commission of crimes. This legislation is critical,” said Senator Greg Ball.
In addition to Senator Ball’s legislation, the Vice President of the Affiliated Police Association of Westchester County, Robert Buckley, said in a letter, publishing these maps online is jeopardizing the safety of residents and is irresponsible.
“The Affiliated Police Association of Westchester County Inc. is putting The Journal News on notice that we will hold [them] accountable for any incident where any of our over 25,000 members are involved with an incident where a criminal or ex-con presents themselves at the residence of one of our members as a result of their name being made public by [their] newspaper,” said Buckley.
The Affiliated Police Association of Westchester will be holding a press conference on January 15, 2013 at the Westchester County Courthouse located at 111 Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard, White Plains, N.Y. at 1:00 p.m.
