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Red Cross reports two catalytic converters stolen from response trucks, police say

(Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter)

Salem’s Red Cross on Monday reported two catalytic converters were stolen from their response vehicles over the weekend.

Lt. Treven Upkes, Salem police spokesman, said around 2:30 p.m. Monday, they reported someone had cut the chain-link fence around the parking lot and cut the catalytic converters off of two American Red Cross trucks between Friday and Monday.

Upkes said the department isn’t investigating the report and it is closed until somebody identifies a suspect. “We don’t have any leads at this time,” he said.

Salem police said in a Facebook post Monday morning that its Criminal Investigations Division’s Property Crime Unit reports they are seeing a high number of catalytic converter thefts. 

“There is no specific pattern to time of day or part of the city,” the post said, but trucks and SUVs are often targeted because they are easier to get under to remove the exhaust emission control device.

In addition to its response vehicles, the building on Northeast Hawthorne Avenue where the trucks were reported stolen houses the Red Cross’s Blood Donation Center in Salem, disaster relief operations and support for armed forces.

Salem’s Red Cross holds blood drives at Westminster Presbyterian Church. Jean Severson, office manager at the church, said their blood drive Monday wasn’t impacted. “(There) didn’t seem to be any delays. They did a really good job.”

Chad Carter, spokesman for the American Red Cross’s Cascades Region, declined to comment on the reported theft.

-Ardeshir Tabrizian