Gun Owners Can "Opt-Out" of Public Record

 If you have a gun in your home everyone may soon know about it, but not if you act quickly.
 The NY Safe Act has a provision to keep your name and address out of the public record and thousands of people in Monroe County plan to take advantage of it.
 One week before State Police made this opt-out form available on their website, Monroe County set up a database.
 They offered to take the email addresses of pistol permit owners and send them this form.
  Two weeks later over 4 thousand Monroe County residents have done so, but some say they're not convinced it can keep their information, or their families, safe.
 Tom Ferreri has owned a gun since he was a teenager and agreed to talk with News 8 about it, but that doesn't mean he wants everyone to know his name and where he lives.
 He said "I think it should be more of an 'opt in' option that an 'opt out' option."
 The NY Safe Act "Opt-Out" privacy form will prevent the names and addresses of approved pistol permit holders from being published.
 So far more than 4 thousand Monroe County gun owners have inquired about it through the County Clerk's office.
 Where to get it and how to fill it out is also a main topic of conversation here at American Sportsman in East Rochester.
 Owner Fred Calcagno said "I spend half my day answering questions and the other half taking care of customers, which is what I need to do."
 Calcagno downloaded his form from the State Police website.
 He plans to fill it out in the next few days, but has a few questions of his own.
The first - how to answer why he wants to remain anonymous.
He's not former law enforcement or a witness to a crime, so he plans to check the box that says he may be subject to quote "unwanted harrassment".
That's because he believes putting his info out there opens his home up to much more.
 Calcagno added "If you publish a list of people that have firearms in their houses those are people who now criminals know there's guns there to steal. It can be dangerous for the people who live in that house, it can be dangerous for the people who those guns are used against."
 Calcagno also wonders if all this paperwork is even worth the time and the energy it takes to file it.
 He added "We really have no way of knowing if we really opted out. the only way we will know is if they'res a list published and were not on it. Tina Shively asked "Is that enough for you?" Calcagno replied "No, we should be automatically opted out."
 His customer agrees. Ferreri added "It's good that we can get rid of it but it never shoulda been out there."
 

If you're a pistol permit owner and want your information to be private, State Police say you should file your form before May 15. To find out more about the "Opt-Out" form, click here.