July 24, 2013
®’f* ^îortlanô (Observer
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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.