A map

Janet Hasson, the publisher of the Lower Hudson Valley, NY Journal News employs one Dwight R. Worley -- reporter. Mr. Worley wrote and printed some interactive maps that have caused more than a few raised eyebrows around the internet:

Map: Where are the gun permits in your neighborhood?
The map indicates the addresses of all pistol permit holders in Westchester and Rockland counties. Each dot represents an individual permit holder licensed to own a handgun � a pistol or revolver. The data does not include owners of long guns � rifles or shotguns � which can be purchased without a permit. Being included in this map does not mean the individual at a specific location owns a weapon, just that they are licensed to do so.

Data for all permit categories, unrestricted carry, premises, business, employment, target and hunting, is included, but permit information is not available on an individual basis.

To create the map, The Journal News submitted Freedom of Information requests for the names and addresses of all pistol permit holders in Westchester, Rockland and Putnam. By state law, the information is public record.

Putnam is still putting together its records and could not immediately provide any data. The map will be updated when that data is released.

A bit more from the article:

Zoom in and out for more information and click on a dot to see details of a permit.

Moe Lane offers this reassurance to gun owners: Journal News helpfully tells criminals which NY residences to avoid

I understand that the idea here by the Journal News was to intimidate/harass New York handgun owners by publishing their names and addresses, but the reality is that everybody on that map listed as having a handgun permit is now at least slightly less likely to be burgled. Seriously: if you robbed houses in Westchester and Rockland counties, wouldn�t you check this database first? After all, while New York�s Castle Doctrine policies are weaker than in other states, it explicitly indicates that you can shoot a burglar:

A person in possession or control of, or licensed or privileged to be in, a dwelling or an occupied building, who reasonably believes that another person is committing or attempting to commit a burglary of such dwelling or building, may use deadly physical force upon such other person when he or she reasonably believes such to be necessary to prevent or terminate the commission or attempted commission of such burglary.

In other words: you know who should be ticked about this? People in those counties without handgun permits. Because burglars are gonna burgle.

Of course, it didn't take long for someone to dig up the addresses and phone numbers of both Publisher Janet Hasson and Reporter Dwight R. Worley. Heh...