Almost 5,000 Westchester residents have unrestricted permits allowing them to carry weapons at all times. Over 2,300 residents are permitted to carry guns for work. At least 6,900 residents have shooting permits and more than 11, 200 have target-shooting permits.
Putnam County responded to the Journal’s inquiry by noting it would take time to recover records, but estimated at least 11,000 permits within its borders. Gun proponents note that such access to gun owners’ information presents a danger.
“You’re giving a shopping list to criminals,” New York Rifle & Pistol Association President Tom King said. “Does it matter if you own 47 guns or you own one gun? Everybody likes to think that someone who has all of these guns is evil, that there’s some nefarious reason they have all these guns. There are collectors.”
“You have judges, policemen, retired policemen, FBI agents — they have permits,” Rockland County clerk Paul Piperto noted. “Once you allow the public to see where they live, that puts them in harm’s way.”
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