As gas prices increase, so do pump thefts

Carolyn Farmer remembers one person who pulled into the gas station that she manages, determined to steal a tank of gas.

The man first tried to hide behind one of the pillars next to the pump. When that didn’t work, he climbed into the back seat of the car and finished filling the tank. Then, still while sitting in the back seat, the man removed the nozzle, climbed in the front and drove away.

It was one of the more creative thefts of gas Farmer has seen at the Foster Fuels station on U.S. 29 in Campbell County. Farmer’s station was hit hard when gas prices first started their rise last year.

“We depend on humans to do what should be done,” Farmer said. “It’s frustrating, it’s discouraging and it makes me angry.”

According to statistics from the Lynchburg Police Department, these larcenies are on the rise.

With the exception of January, gas thefts are up more than 60 percent over last year. In April, the reports rose from six in 2007 to 14 this year.

Thefts at the Foster Fuels store have been down so far this year since the company installed cameras at the pumps after one man drove off with about $50 in gas 13 times.

The camera captures license plate images. If the customer drives off without paying, they can be tracked.

The thefts hurt, Farmer said, particularly since the average tank of gas for a car runs about $50 and for a truck or sport utility vehicle stands around $100.

“Think about how many gallons of gas it takes to compensate for that loss,” Farmer said.

The penalty for driving off without paying for gas is up to 12 months in jail and up to a $2,500 fine. There can also be civil penalties such as driver’s license suspension. The third offense is a felony and carries a harsher penalty.

The police department has been on an education campaign for the past few years, talking to gas station managers about ways they can keep themselves from becoming a victim, Officer John Carey of the Lynchburg Police Department said.

“We have begged and pleaded with them to not give credit authorization, to get people to pay with credit or debit or prepay inside,” Carey said.

“It can be a temptation for some folks,” Carey said.

In the counties, gas thefts have increased slightly, according to law enforcement. What has increased even more, however, is the amount of the theft.

Now the average loss is in the $60 to $80 range compared to the $5 to $10 range just a year ago, said Lt. Greg Turner of the Amherst County Sheriff’s Office.

Last week, Smile Gas in Madison Heights was the target of two gas drive-offs, one for $90 and another for $70. Quik-E got hit for $60.

“A lot of them aren’t reported,” Turner said. “Really, all these larcenies are preventable.”

Turner said reports of stolen gas come about two to three times a month in Amherst. He’s also seen more reports of gas being siphoned from car gas tanks.

Another trend on the rise is the number of people running out of gas, said Martha Meade, manager of public and government affairs for AAA MidAtlantic.

AAA MidAtlantic is reporting a 24 percent increase over last year in the number of towing requests from drivers running out of gas, Meade said. Letting the car run out of gas can damage the fuel pump and lead to more costly repairs down the road.

“It’s a sign of the times,” Meade said. “People are trying to stretch that last dollar and they aren’t making it.”

Gas prices in Virginia and around the Lynchburg area are hovering around $3.89 per gallon, said Meade.

“We are flirting hard with the $4 mark,” she said.

With prices still rising, gas merchants are getting more diligent in tracking the actions of their customers.

“… We make so few cents per gallon that it takes a lot of gallons to make up for that one drive off,” said Apple Market president Warner Hall.

“It is a constant problem. A lot more go unreported, mainly because of a lack of information.”

That’s why clerks are now calling out a description of the car over their intercom system when approving a cash sale at the gas pump. It lets the customer know they are being watched.

Foster Fuel’s Farmer has been a gas station attendant for 26 years. It can be difficult to keep an eye on the customers in the store and at the pumps but when clerks don’t, the thefts happen, she said.

“Have respect for the cashiers and the merchants,” Farmer said. “It’s not our fault that the prices are the way they are.”