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.