Gas drive-off thefts rise as gas prices spike

Republic has seen a 580-percent increase from the same time last year.

May 18, 2011|by Jay Scherder, KY3 News | jscherder@ky3.com

REPUBLIC, Mo. -- The average price of gasoline in Missouri was $3.79 a gallon on Wednesday. Nationally, it was $3.94. Higher gas prices are leading to a new trend at area gas stations -- people filling up and taking off without paying.

Some stations have seen at least $1,000 worth of stolen gas already this year.

"[The] economy is down, unemployment is up, gas prices are up," said Republic Police Officer Jamie Burks.

The Republic Police Department sees a spike in crime at the pumps.

"It's a crime of opportunity," Burks said, "If it's not pay-at-the-pump, it's easy for them to drive up, get their gas and drive off."

In the first four months of 2010, there were 12 reported gas theft drive-offs.

"[In the] first four months of 2011 we had 82," said Burks. "That's about a 580-percent increase."

It's all happening at places that don't force you to pay before you pump. Someone who steals gas lays the nozzle on the ground and then drives away. If the person were to put the nozzle back where it belongs, it would alert the gas station attendant that he was done pumping. By leaving it on the ground, it buys the thief a little more time to get away.

In Springfield, gas theft drive-offs aren't anything new.

"Every year we see a small increase, usually around summer time," said Cpl. Matt Brown, a spokesman for the Springfield Police Department.

The type of person stealing gas has changed.

"It's any vehicle across the board -- newer cars, what would appear to be a well dressed individual," said Brown.

The Springfield Police Department in the last several months has tried to be proactive about the problem, allowing gas stations to call 911 when a drive-off theft occurs. It's resulted in several quick arrests.

"What they were doing before is basically just filing it, sending a report to the police later on," Brown said.

It was a process that slowed down catching gas thieves.

At the end of the day, though, police in any town can't fully stop the problem until all pumps are pre paid.

"If the opportunity is not there, they have to pay at the pump, the gas drive-offs will go down," said Burks.

Bolivar is another town dealing with drive-off thefts. It's had nearly 40 drive-off thefts so far this year, which is three times the amount of that it had last year at this time. Sixteen of those were seen just since April 1.

The Republic Police Department says, just a couple of years ago, if it had a report of a drive-off theft, the person would usually call or come back. The person would say he just made a mistake and forgot to pay -- no harm no foul. About half of all the drive-off thefts turned out that way. However, Burks says, anymore that is rarely the case. People are simply stealing gas.

In Missouri, a gas drive-off theft is a misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail and up to a $1,000 fine.

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