White Plains Burglary Link to Interactive Gun Map Most Likely Exaggerated
New York State Senator Greg Ball (R-Patterson) has been leading the fray against the interactive pistol permit holders map published online by The Journal News in late December. In a press release issued Sunday, Ball claims a burglary and attempted theft of weapons locked in a gun case at a residence on Davis Avenue in White Plains is evidently related to the map, although the police investigation is yet to be finalized and published statements by the White Plains Commissioner of Safety, David Chong, indicate the perpetrator of this and other burglaries in the area may not have been apprehended.
A call to Ball’s office indicated the press release was issued prior to direct communication with the White Plains Police Department, although the press release does acknowledge the link was yet to be confirmed.
Ball was not available for comment because he is in Albany, presenting legislation to the state assembly to try to prevent private information from being disclosed in the future and to try to force The Journal News to take the gun map down.
Earlier on Sunday, an updated version of a letter written and circulated by Robert Riley, president of the White Plains Police Benevolent Association, stated: “Over the past three days the City of White Plains has had eight burglaries and attempted burglaries. Some of the victims of these burglaries lived two doors sometimes one door from an individual who was listed on The Journal News legal gun permit holder list. Just last night we had a burglary of a home that is a legal permit holder and was listed in The Journal News. The burglar attempted to pry open the victim’s gun safe, but luckily for all of us he was unsuccessful in doing so. But what if the burglar was successful? We would now have a criminal with a gun on the street and would probably see them go from burglaries to robberies or even worse.”
The contents of the White Plains PBA release were echoed in Ball’s statement later that day.
The White Plains mayor’s office said it could not comment because the incident was an ongoing investigation. However, Public Safety Commissioner Chong was quoted in an online Journal News story on Monday as saying “it’s premature to suggest that the house was targeted because a resident there is listed on a map of pistol permit holders published last month by The Journal News.”
Chong called it “pure speculation, at this point. We see no pattern of people breaking into homes based on the map, but we’re certainly paying attention and monitoring that.”
In statements published on its website, The Journal News claims the interactive map was intended to give readers a view of all legal pistol permit holders in Westchester, Rockland and Putnam Counties. This information was published shortly after the tragic shooting deaths of 26 people in Newtown, Conn., including 20 children between the ages of six and seven.
When the newspaper filed a FOIL (Freedom of Information Law) request, names were released by both the Westchester and Rockland County clerks offices, but Dennis Sant, county clerk for Putnam County has refused to release its information.
Many critics particularly assailed the fact that the list included names of judges, prosecutors, law enforcement and domestic violence survivors. As time has gone by reports indicate the published list is not accurate as well.
Senator Ball represents NYS District 40, which includes Dutchess and Putnam counties and parts of Westchester.
“There is the rule of law, and there is right and wrong, and The Journal News is clearly wrong,” Sant said in a statement. “I could not live with myself if one Putnam pistol permit holder was put in harm’s way, for the purpose of selling newspapers.”
As discussion over the legality of the release of the gun owners list gains momentum, a press conference organized by the Affiliated Police Association of Westchester County Inc. (APA), an umbrella organization for 53 law enforcement organizations, and originally announced on January 10, is scheduled for Tuesday at 1 p.m. in front of the Westchester County Court House in White Plains.
In the January 10 announcement, Robert Buckley, APA vice president, said the association “is putting The Journal News on notice that we will hold them accountable for any incident where any of our members are involved in an incident where a person, criminal or ex-con presents themselves at the residence of one of our members as a result of their name being made public by The Journal News.”
In the same release Richard Wells, President Police Conference of New York is quoted: “Under New York’s Freedom of Information Law, any Freedom of Information Officer is entitled to deny access to any record or portions thereof that, if disclosed would endanger the life and safety of any person. Accordingly, we urge all county clerks to deny all such requests under that provision of the Freedom of Information Law. We also urge The Journal News to cease its quest to obtain and publish this information. It serves no legitimate purpose and could easily lead to more tragedy.”
