Gas prices at area pumps continue to skyrocket and oil industry leaders are beefing up the security to prevent thieves from taking the ultimate discount.

Friday, June 30, 2000

Gas prices at area pumps continue to skyrocket and oil industry leaders are beefing up the security to prevent thieves from taking the ultimate discount.

Convenience stores and gas stations lose millions of dollars every year when consumers fill their cars with gasoline and fail to pay the attendant – commonly known as "drive-offs" or "gas theft". This year’s losses are expected to be significantly higher.

"In 1999, the oil industry lost $243 million worth of gasoline due to gas theft," said Jeff Lenard, National Association of Convenience Stores spokesperson. "That means convenience stores lost on the average $2,600 in gas theft last year – and that’s when the price of gasoline was an average $1.14 per gallon. We have 120,000 convenience stores nationwide who are members of NACS."

NACS officials are expecting gas theft to be significantly higher this year, with petroleum prices continually soaring upward – though. They are unable to estimate the amount of gasoline that will possibly be stolen this year.

"We’ve already begun seeing significantly higher thefts occur," Lenard said. "We really saw a huge increase in March, which is actually a bit earlier than usual. We have no idea how much loss we’ll see this year. We’re advising stores to step up the security."

Drive-offs are a loss for the oil industry and leaders say honest consumers ultimately pay the price.

"The convenience stores are just like any other retail operation – when you have theft, you have loss," said Chuck Rice, Marathon Ashland Petroleum (MAP) spokesperson. "Drive-offs are a loss and ultimately, the other consumers pay for it. We have to make up for the loss. We are taking extra security measures this year."

Officials have said they are asking stores to watch their security cameras more closely and to maintain a keen sense of awareness of their surroundings.

"The people who design our stores always make sure the attendants are standing on a platform while working the cash register," Rice said. "We make sure the windows of our stores are free from any advertisement. We don’t allow any signs or notes of any kind around the window in front of the person working that register. And, we rely on the employees’ ability to keep track of what’s going on in the area."

If enough information can be gathered, stores will prosecute those who drive off without first paying for their gas, he said.

"There are 4,500 convenience stores in Ohio selling a total of 5.1 billion gallons of gas per year," Lenard said. "When these stores are able to gather enough information on the drivers of the cars who are stealing gas, they will prosecute to the maximum extent of the law."

Ohio has defined gas theft as a misdemeanor crime with a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine, while Kentucky also classifies it as a misdemeanor punishable by a maximum penalty of one year jail time and a $500 fine, he said.

"We usually will gather as much information as we can before we prosecute," said Jeff Lewis, store manager of the Ironton Super America. "We know gas thefts are on the rise, so we’re keeping an even closer watch. It’s a crime and we plan to stop as much of it as we can. Our job is to watch those pumps."