Rise in thefts fuel gas stations to take action

"Drive-offs" occur when thieves pumped a tank full of gas, then took off without paying.

These days, the Chicago area is suffering through record-setting prices, but police and gas station operators say thefts haven't spiked at the same pace.

That's because gas stations learned lessons from previous fuel crime waves, and many now have deterrents in place.

"With our cameras and pre-paying and credit cards being used at the pump, it's definitely bucking the older trend," said Bill Fleischli, executive vice president with the Illinois Petroleum Marketers Association. "Down south, where this technology isn't used as much, theft started going up when a gallon went over $3.50. But up north, they are finding ways to stop it."

It's even more critical today as prices have shot up past $4 per gallon.

"A small drive-off isn't a small drive-off anymore," Fox Lake Police Chief Mike Behan said. "Now, when a pickup truck drives off, it gets away with $80 or $90 in gas as opposed to $40 or $50 a couple years ago. That's a lot of money to these stations now."

Although that crime hasn't been completely erased -- Behan said Fox Lake recorded about five gasoline thefts a month in 2007, and nine this May alone -- there are fewer than expected with prices so high.

Beth Mosher, a spokeswoman with the AAA Auto Club, said her office hasn't seen an increase in drive-offs in the suburbs, particularly in more densely populated area.

"I don't even know of a gas station that doesn't have people pre-pay any more," Mosher said.

One is the Citgo/Mr. Sub on Grand Avenue in Fox Lake. Manager Jennifer Della-Peruta said while her station still allows people to pump gas without paying in advance, cameras are watching and have deterred thefts.

"It's probably because of the three cameras we have that are trained on their license plates," she said. "That, and because I think people also know that if they drive off, our prices will go up, and the prices are high enough."