Amid economic woes, fewer race from pump

Reports to police of gas pump drive-offs have plummeted this year throughout Augusta County despite increased fuel prices and an economy on the brink of collapse.

Waynesboro police have tallied 44 fuel thefts to date this year, down from 94 last year. Staunton saw a jump from 46 reports to 81 reports in 2007, but only 15 calls have trickled in during the first nine months of 2008. A gentler decrease was reported by the Augusta County Sheriff’s Office, with 46 calls this year, down from 58 in 2007 and 67 in 2006.

The decrease has surprised area police departments, who expected thefts to increase with rising prices, as has previously occurred, especially considering the departments have not changed enforcement policies.

“You would think we would have more than we do,” said Augusta County Sheriff’s Lt. D.M. Back. “I’m surprised, with the price, that people aren’t taking more.”

Virginia lawmakers increased the gas theft fine from $100 to $250 in 2005. A driver’s license can be suspended for the first offense and is mandated to be suspended 30 days for subsequent offenses. Such theft may also be charged as larceny.

Prepay policies at gas stations and higher quality surveillance cameras also deserve credit for deterring thieves, said Jeff Lenard, spokesman for the Association for Convenience and Petroleum Retailing.

“Prepay has really taken gas theft off the map from where it was a few years ago,” he said.

For retailers, the shift to prepay stops drive-offs but also encourages customers to pay by credit card, which can cost a station 9 cents per gallon in fees, Lenard said.

“The last thing the convenience store wants to be is inconvenient, but they don’t want to be unprofitable,” Lenard said.

Gasoline theft cost the convenience store industry $134 million in 2007, up slightly from 2006, but down from $300 million in 2005. Such stores sell approximately 80 percent of gasoline nationwide, Lenard said.

At the Waynesboro Exxon station near Interstate 64 mandatory prepay has made gas theft a non-issue, Manager Renea Moneypenny said.

But not all gas stations require prepay, and some employees say thefts are increasing.

“Every day, at least one,” said Wilco employee Sammy Powers, 34, of Waynesboro. “Another $100 yesterday. If we don’t see the car or the kind of person, there’s nothing we can do about it.”

Powers said reports to police may be decreasing, but incidents have risen during his two years at the station on the corner of routes 340 and 250.

“If it’s $15, $20, it’s not really worth our time,” Powers said. Some license plate reports he’s given don’t even work, Powers said.

“It was registered to a Kia and a station wagon,” he said of one plate. “But it was a big truck that did it.”

Waynesboro police Cpl. David Shaw said a promptly reported license plate greatly increases solvability.

Employees at the BP station on Route 250 said incidents have gone down as their watchfulness has increased.

They’ve chased cars.

Powers too.

“I’ve had them vroooom around the building and zoom out onto Commerce,” he said.