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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (July 8, 2020)
Page 12 July 8, 2020 Emergency Food Former Cop on Police Culture of Violence Book explores Stamps Extended impacts on Maximum benefits to last through July minority communities The Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS) has received approval by the Food and Nutrition Ser- vice to provide an additional $30 million to eligible Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients this month because of the coronavirus pan- demic. “Oregonians continue to face economic instability and food insecurity,” said Self-Sufficiency Programs Director Dan Haun. “Providing another month of emergency assistance will help address ongoing food needs.” With the additional funds, all eligible Oregon SNAP households will receive the maximum benefit amount in July, officials said. They will receive the extra allotment in the same way they receive their cur- rent benefits. For most customers this is an EBT card. No additional action is needed from Oregonians already enrolled in SNAP, officials said. The maxi- mum SNAP benefits are based on the number of eligi- ble people in the household. For a household of one, for example, the amount is $194; for a family of three it’s $309 and for a family of five it is $768. This allotment will not permanently change a household’s monthly benefit amount. It is a temporary supplement to help during the current health crisis. DHS will not be sending individual notices to house- holds about the emergency allotments. Learn how to apply for SNAP and other benefits online or by calling 2-1-1 or visiting oregon.gov/ DHS/COVID-19. According to a 2019, USA Today report, at least 85,000 law enforce- ment officers across the United States have been investigated or disciplined for misconduct over the past decade. Moreover, in minority communities throughout America there has been an urgent crisis in policing since the early 20th century. Presently, there is a perceived up- tick in the media concerning improp- er police procedure and use of force, including killings of unarmed African American citizens like that of George Floyd in Minneapolis, and Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta. While no two cas- es are alike, there is a universal set of rules that governs when and how po- lice officers should use force. Timothy T. Williams Jr., a leading expert on police procedure, use of force and wrongful convictions, believes that, “Unfortunately, in minority and white communities, law enforcement has a different approach as it relates to policing the respective groups.” Williams said the easing of Coro- navirus stay at home orders and use of masks, increases the opportunity for different types of policing, subjecting Retired Los Angeles police detective Timothy T. Williams Jr. dives deep into police procedure, use of force, and wrongful convictions in his debut book ‘American Policing: A Culture of violence in Minority Communities.’ minorities to a higher probability of being stopped vs. white counterparts. “If additional racial bias training isn’t embraced, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic and for protests, there will be continued civil rights vi- olations that will cost municipalities millions of dollars,” Williams said. A study of 100 million traffic stops by 21 state patrol agencies from 2011 to 2017, found that police had a lower bar for stopping and searching black and Hispanic drivers than they did for stopping white drivers, NBC News Reports. Research also shows that po- lice are more likely to target and use unnecessary force against them too. Perceptions of a few “bad apples” within police departments are quickly being dispelled due to such data and video recordings from cell phones and security cameras. Such visual evidence captures what appears to be a culture of violence in an almost daily onslaught of misconduct by police officers, espe- cially toward minority communities. In his timely debut book, A Deep Dive: An Expert Analysis on Police Procedure, Use of Force and Wrongful Convictions, Williams recounts his ex- periences as a retired Los Angeles Police Department senior detective supervisor. An over 29-year LAPD veteran, Williams launched his private consul- tancy practice in 2003, and has pro- vided expert testimony in over 200 cases and analysis of over 1,200 cas- es. Williams has been hired by some of the most recognizable names in law including The Innocence Project, The Cochran Firm, Carl Douglas, Mark Geragos, and Thomas Mesereau.