Why Ohio Police Chief's' War On Law Abiding Gun Owners Is Asinine

by John Salyers

3:00pm Monday, January 21, 2013

And why John Gilchrist, Esq. Legislative Counsel and professional/paid lobbyist for the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP) fits the following definition to the letter.

as·i·nine
[as-uh-nahyn]
adjective

1.foolish, unintelligent, or silly; stupid: "It is surprising that supposedly intelligent people can make such asinine statements."
2. of or like an ass: asinine obstinacy; asinine features.

Regular readers of BuckeyeFirearms.org are well aware of John Gilchrist's public crusade against law-abiding gun owners in the name of Ohio's police chiefs. As OACP's legislative counsel, Gilchrist has testified against every gun rights bill that has come before the Ohio Legislature with wildly insane predictions of more gun violence and risk to officer safety by law-abiding citizens.

The latest attempt to label good people as criminals in disguise came during recent hearings on HB495. Mr. Gilchrist offered claims of emotional breakdowns and predictions of dead officers across the state - not to mention felons walking around with concealed handgun licenses, presumably because the law enforcement officials Gilchrist represents aren't telling sheriffs if a licensee screws up. In other words, by his admission the police and his members aren't doing their job.

The constant rejection of the people via our representatives in the State House appears to be getting under Mr. Gilchrist's skin. In a letter to the editor of The Columbus Dispatch, published December 29, 2012, Gilchrist went public with his war against law abiding citizens of Ohio.

After blathering on about how there just have to be law-abiding gun owners skirting the legal system while retaining their concealed handgun license, he claims in part:

"We could get a better handle on gun violence committed by licensees by changing the law to make certain records dealing with concealed-carry licensees public.

Police already have access to them, but it is a fifth-degree felony for anyone to release concealed-carry licensee information.

The records that should be made available include the name, county of residence and date of birth of each licensee, along with those whose license has been revoked or suspended.

Then, academics, newspapers, law-school students and others could do research to determine the amount of gun violence committed by licensees. They could analyze police records and newspaper accounts to see if licensees committed disqualifying offenses, and could notify sheriffs. Again, one of the reasons that the statistical records indicate a very low suspension or revocation rate is because no one informs the sheriff when a licensee commits a disqualifying offense."

Again, Gilchrist openly admits that his members must not be doing their jobs properly.

I have yet to receive a reply to an email I sent to Mr. Gilchrist asking for evidence that his members support this war on the law-abiding. I also stated that I hope he and his organization are open to making public the same personal, private information on every police chief and officer in the state - including those who have been suspended or terminated for breaking the laws they are sworn to uphold.

In fairness, if Mr. Gilchrist is to have his way, police chiefs and officers must be included along with open access to their personnel files. This would enable We The People, who happen to employ Mr. Gilchrist's members, the full ability to analyze and scrutinize every chief and officer in Ohio.

Even if that does not happen, let's say we reinstate the failed media access loophole and leave the police out of it. The same access that was stripped away mostly because of irresponsible news editors publishing blanket lists of information while at the same time doing absolutely nothing to accomplish what Gilchrist is advocating for.

All we really need to do is ask the folks in Westchester and Rockland counties in New York how they feel today about people like Mr. Gilchrist and The Journal-News calling them out for doing nothing illegal.

With headlines like "Ex-Burglars Say Newspaper's Gun Map Would've Made the Job Easier, Safer" and "Inmates using newspaper's gun owner map to threaten guards, sheriff says," I think it's safe to say those folks are not happy.

Mr. Gilchrist's colleagues in that area certainly aren't.

From the article:

Law enforcement officials from a New York region where a local paper published a map identifying gun owners say prisoners are using the information to intimidate guards.

Rockland County Sheriff Louis Falco, who spoke at a news conference flanked by other county officials, said the Journal News' decision to post an online map of names and addresses of handgun owners Dec. 23 has put law enforcement officers in danger.

"They have inmates coming up to them and telling them exactly where they live. That's not acceptable to me," Falco said, according to Newsday.

Robert Riley, an officer with the White Plains Police Department and president of its Patrolman’s Benevolent Association, agreed.

"You have guys who work in New York City who live up here. Now their names and addresses are out there, too," he said adding that there are 8,000 active and retired NYPD officers currently living in Rockland County."

What the crooks are saying.

"Reformed crooks say the New York newspaper that published a map of names and addresses of gun owners did a great service – to their old cronies in the burglary trade."

""What they did was insanity," added Shaw, author of "License to Steal," a book about his criminal career."

“They just created an opportunity for some crimes to be committed and I think it’s exceptionally stupid,” said Bob Portenier, 65, a former burglar and armed house robber turned crime prevention consultant.

Professional burglars are always looking for an edge, and like most folks, they read the paper, said Portenier."

"It is unbelievable that a newspaper or so called journalist would publish the names and addresses of legal gun owners, including federal agents, law enforcement officers and the like,” said Abagnale, who noted that he grew up in the suburban New York area served by the Journal-News. “This would be equivalent to publishing the names of individuals who keep substantial sums of money, jewelry and valuables in their home."

"That was the most asinine article I’ve ever seen,” said Walter T. Shaw, 65, a former burglar and jewel thief"