My county officials got it right.

[Hillbilly77]

Here in NY State, we are under assault with the new NY SAFE laws.
The law has a part written into it that a pistol licensee has the option to fill out a Privacy Request form to keep your gun info. from being released in Freedom Of Information requests. Why in God's name we need to ask for privacy is beyond reason, but today I found out that my county's pistol office is on our side and will not release information, with or without the exemption paperwork. It's nice to see that not everybody is against us.

Here is a statement released by our pistol office:

The Oneida County Pistol Licensing Office has a message for those permit holders who are scrambling to keep their private gun records from being made public: Don’t worry about it, nothing will be released.

After discussing the state’s new gun law, Oneida County pistol licensing officers Daniel Sullivan and Judge Michael L. Dwyer agreed this week that none of the records belonging to more than 25,000 permit holders will be made public.

That means nobody will have to fill out any forms to opt-out of public disclosure. When it comes to gun information, Sullivan said public safety trumps any public right to know whether someone owns a firearm or not.

“We truly believe that to release any records across the board, it jeopardizes the safety of both the pistol license holder and also jeopardizes those people who don’t have guns in their homes by making them a target,” Sullivan said Thursday. “We have decided the opt-out forms are not required in Oneida County, and we’re simply not, even if requested, going to release anyone’s records to the public or the press.”

The pistol permit office phone has been ringing off the hook this week with callers worried about their private records, Sullivan said. This prompted Sullivan to call state officials, who informed him for the first time that the county would be handling the opt-out forms, not the state.

Since Thursday, Sullivan said he has already received more than 70 opt-out forms in the mail.

A huge Atta-Boy to the Oneida County Pistol Office.

 

[A Castle]

It's time for Onondaga County to step up too.

 

[SMSgt]

It should be state law, not county opinion.

 

[Lost Lake]

Let me play devil's advocate for a minute...

So if these guys say they are not releasing information, and encourage everyone to refrain from sending in a form that would assure your information wouldn't be released....

What if a federal court ORDERS them to release the information?

Now it's not water-cooler chit chat and bravado. These guys will hand over the paperwork faster than green grass through a goose.

What if they are playing for the other team and actually want to release the information?

If it were me and I could send in the card or not ---- I'd send in the card! Just to be sure.

 

[radar1972]

Good observation, Lost Lake!!

I'd send in the card, too.

 

[Hillbilly77]

Let me play devil's advocate for a minute...

So if these guys say they are not releasing information, and encourage everyone to refrain from sending in a form that would assure your information wouldn't be released....

What if a federal court ORDERS them to release the information?

Now it's not water-cooler chit chat and bravado. These guys will hand over the paperwork faster than green grass through a goose.

What if they are playing for the other team and actually want to release the information?

If it were me and I could send in the card or not ---- I'd send in the card! Just to be sure.

I understand your concern, but our pistol licensing officers are very pro-gun and pro-gun rights. I'm positive that they are not on "their" side.

Here in NY, the state law leaves pistol licensing up to the counties. Obviously, there are the state laws to adhere to, but beyond that, it is the county's deal. It is up to the county to decide what restrictions, if any, will be placed on a permit, etc. Some of it makes no sense at all - my county puts restrictions on most permits, and a neighboring county doesn't restrict theirs at all.

Since the state is leaving the disclosure paperwork up to the county, and our pistol office is swamped already, their decision is really no surprise to me - non-disclosure for everybody.

And since the whole mess was created by a state law, and the state left it up to the county, I doubt the Federal govt. will get involved at a county level. If the state allows the Feds' intrusion to reach that level, then it will be time to leave the state anyway, so my current address will mean very little.
As far as that goes, if the Feds decide to intrude, a non-disclosure form will mean jack-**** to them anyway.

That being said, I may send in the form anyway.

 

[chevydave]

If they (the government) have your information I guarantee you some idiot will find a way to release it!

 

[HereSinceTheLongHunters]

Agreed... always keep your legal butt covered.