A reformed professional burglar considers The Times Journal’s publishing of New York gun permit holders’ names and addresses a “gold mine” of information as actual cases of individuals threatened by the action are starting to become known. Telling Greta Van Susteren of Fox News yesterday that burglars look for guns to sell to criminals, former thief and crime prevention consultant Bob Portenier explained how the interactive map published by the Gannett holding could be used to case and rob homes, resulting in guns being funneled to violent criminals who bypass the “gun control” laws that their victims obey. Additionally, reports of threats to individual citizens, including the endangerment of current and retired law enforcement officers, illustrate how people who have life-preserving reasons to keep a low profile have now been put in harm’s way.
On Thursday, Gun Rights Examiner requested Gannett’s Chief Ethics Officer, Barbara Wall, to investigate The Times Journal’s actions as a violation of their corporate ethics policy commitment “to make life better for the people who trust us to know them and do right by them,” and also look into the publication in another Gannett holding, the Des Moines Register, of a death wish for gun owners by columnist Donald Kaul, itself a pretty clear nose-thumbing at Gannett’s pledge of “respect for others and our commitment to diversity.”
Kaul may get his wish thanks to his sister paper’s irresponsible actions.
In his column yesterday, Conservative Examiner Anthony Martin related “Megyn Kelly of Fox News told Bill O'Reilly Thursday that a female stalking victim who had not heard from her assailant in two years has begun receiving harassing anonymous phone calls as she did the last time she heard from the stalker, two years ago.
“Kelly also learned that a retired police officer in the area is outraged that his name was published as a concealed carry gun owner, making him an easy target of any of the criminals he has pursued and arrested over the course of his career,” Martin continued.
This is bolstered in another report by citizen journalist Bruce W. Krafft, who sent an email of his own to Chief Ethics Officer Wall.
“[M]y best friend from my hometown, the man who was best man at both my weddings was a NYC cop for 25+ years, retiring in the spring of 2009,” Krafft explained. “During his last few years he was with the F.B.I. and ATF, working undercover.
“I don't know exactly what he did, but apparently there are a bunch of very nasty people who are very angry with him,” Krafft continued. “The kind of nasty who don't see it as overkill to rape and murder a man's family in front of him before they necklace him. His telephone, cars and home are all listed in his wife's maiden name, and he has worked very hard to stay off the radar. But, unsurprisingly, he has a gun permit and your White Plains paper just put his name and address out on the internet for anyone to see.”
Corrections officers at Rockland County jails are finding out such fears are not unfounded, Kevin Zawacki of Nyack-Piermont Patch reported yesterday.
“Inmates have been approaching the workers for the past two weeks and reciting the officers' home addresses,” the report revealed. “[Sheriff Louis] Falco said the issue stems from a map published in December by a local newspaper that charts all legally licensed pistol permit holders in Rockland and Westchester counties. The map -- created by The Journal News and hosted on LoHud.com -- allows viewers to see the names and addresses of all residents who are allowed to own concealable firearms.”
Clearly this is not just an issue that affects “ordinary citizens,” although that ought to be enough to preclude such irresponsible actions on the part of a major area newspaper. Clearly, willful actions on the part of Gannett employees and contractors have created a situation that directly violates the prime directive of the media giant’s ethics policy, “To affect change for the good in the communities we serve, to make life better for the people who trust us to know them and do right by them,” and refusal to enforce it will show the policy and those who ignore submitted complaints as hollow frauds. As a side effect, it also ought to open the door to a hefty wrongful termination lawsuit for any employee against whom it has been (or will be) selectively enforced.
A copy of this follow-up report is being sent to Ms. Wall to assist in her investigation, or to at least create a record that she and her bosses have been put on notice should they elect to do nothing.
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