On Wednesday morning, May 18, 2022, an off-duty member of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office discovered their personal vehicle had been broken into overnight in southeast Salem. Among the items stolen from inside of the vehicle was equipment belonging to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team including:
- Green tactical vest with helmet
- Portable police radio
- Gas mask
- Black semi-automatic AR-15 style rifle w/ optic
- Rifle and pistol magazines with ammunition
- Medic kit
Due to the theft occurring inside the city of Salem, the incident was reported to the Salem Police Department.
Sheriff Kast stated, “It is humbling to share about incidents such as this, however, we are absolutely committed to being transparent with our community and engaging their assistance by soliciting tips that may help us recover the stolen equipment. We will be conducting an internal review of the incident to determine if there were violations of policy or procedures.”
Anyone with information about the theft is encouraged to call the Salem Police Department Tips Line at 503-588-8477 or to submit their tip by texting TIPMCSO and their tip to 847411.
