County bucks nationwide trend as gas drive-offs low

By DUANE SHERRILL / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard

Gas prices are soaring locally and up to an average of $1.76 a gallon across the nation, a record.

With gas prices reaching historically high levels, the numbers of drive-offs from the pump have also skyrocketed with retailers around the country reporting a 300 percent increase in gas thefts this year.

The average price for gas stood at $1.76 over the weekend, a national record, with the U.S. Department of Energy reporting prices could reach $1.83 by spring. The increased prices could also translate into greater losses for station owners.

“It’s just like stealing that much money from us when someone steals gas because that’s a 100 percent loss to the store,” said Terry Boyd, owner of Korner Market and Village Market.

Fortunately for retailers in Warren County, the number of gas drive-offs have not increased with gas prices as they did when prices rose in a similar fashion two years ago.

According to McMinnville Police Captain Bryan Denton, there were no gas drive-offs reported during the month of March in the city limits. The number does not mean there were no drive-offs since sometimes all drive-offs are not reported. There were six drive-offs in January and two in February, on the heels of 23 drive-offs the last quarter of 2003. Police say crime numbers are normally higher during the last quarter of a year.

While drive-off numbers have not kept rising along with the national average, Boyd said he intends to continue stressing prevention to his employees.

“A clerk being visible and watchful is one of the best ways to prevent drive-offs,” Boyd said, noting drive-offs have cost his stores as much as $40 per crime in the past. “If a person sees an employee standing in front of a window where they can see him, the driver is less likely to try to leave without paying. If there’s no one visible from the pump, then the temptation is there.”

Boyd pointed out not all drive-offs are pre-planned crimes.

“Sometimes people just forget to pay, realize it, and come back and make things right,” Boyd said. “Other times, a person may have thought they paid with their card at the pump but it didn’t go through.”

Boyd’s stores, as well as most other gas stations, also feature a warning on their pumps which tells motorists of a state law which can revoke a person’s driver’s license for driving off without paying for gas. If convicted of a gas drive-off, a motorist can lose driving privileges for a minimum of six months. The law was passed when drive-offs became a problem with rising gas prices two years ago.