NY County Tries to Withhold Pistol Permit Data from Press

Violation of state records laws

CARMEL, N.Y. — Putnam County officials, who say they will refuse a newspaper's request to release the names and addresses of residents with pistol permits, would break New York law in withholding the data, a state official said.

The opinion from Robert Freeman, executive director of the state's Committee on Open Government, came after an announcement Tuesday from a state senator and two county officials that they would refuse to release the data requested by The (Westchester, N.Y.) Journal News, which sought the records under the state Freedom of Information Law.