July 24, 2013 ®’f* ^îortlanô (Observer IN S ID E This page Sponsored by: ThcWeek Review Page 3 Fred Meyer What's on vour list today?. photo by D onovan M. S mith /T he P ortland O bserver Officer Garrett Dow explains how Portland Police are using high-tech license plate scanners [pictured behind him on the roof of a police squad car] in an effort to reduce crime. The press conference was held last Wednesday after the American Civil Liberties Union reported on the use o f the new technology nationwide and questioned how the technology infringes on privacy issues. Tracking License Plates Scanner technology gathers huge database D onovan M. S mith T he P ortland O bserver Portland Police are responding to an Am erican Civil Liberties Union investigation on the use o f high-tech police license plate scanners to record and m onitor the m ovem ent o f m otor vehicles from by ENÏERTAINMENÏ across the city. Unlike the old m ethod o f getting behind a car and m anually exam ining a vehicle’s plates, the m ore fam iliar practice, this new technology autom ati cally and electronically scans the license plate num bers o f autom obiles to the left, right, and ahead o f the patrol car using it. Though the scanners have has been used on Rose City streets since 2008, Portland police have continued on page 5 pages 8-12 C lassifieds O pinion F ood page 13 pages 14-15 pages 16 Sequestration Cuts to Rental Assistance Cuts to federal spending from sequestration will begin impacting rental assistance programs in Port land and Multnomah County. Starting Aug. 1, participants in public housing and Section 8 pro grams will shoulder rent increases of 1 to 2 percent of their income, which is between $ 1 and $50 a month for most housing recipients, accord ing to Home Forward, Portland’s housing authority. Other cuts are coming from in side the agency with a voluntary lay-off and retirement program for employees, a freeze on pay increases for staff, and a mandatory furlough of two days with the option of a third day. Home Forward said the reduc tions also mean that the agency will not draw anyone from its new 3,000- person Section 8 waiting list until April 2014 at the earliest, more than a year after the list was created. The actions help close a $5.3 million local funding gap created by federal sequestration. "While we haven't yet had to rem ove anyone from our pro gram s, this creates real pain for residents and staff, and we can't offer near-term hope to those wait ing for a voucher," said Steve Rudman. Home Forward execu tive director.