• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • The Magazine
  • Events
  • Partners
  • Products
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Jobs and Careers
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Subscribe to the Magazine
American Police Beat

American Police Beat Magazine

Law Enforcement Publication

  • Home
  • Editor’s Picks
    • The power of teamwork
      Stay awake and alert on the job
      The worst rank in law enforcement
      Firearms maintenance
      Why fries need salt
  • Topics
    • On the Job
      • “I don’t feel like a hero. I feel like I did my job”
        Louisiana wildlife officer rescues girl trapped underneath boat
        Detroit law enforcement agencies continue fight against freeway...
        Law enforcement agencies prepare for civil unrest following leaked...
        Arizona troopers find nearly 40 pounds of fentanyl pills and cocaine...
    • Labor
      • Illinois State Police announce lateral training program with added...
        The “great resignation” brings staffing troubles to Missouri law...
        NYPD overtime expected to surpass budget by over $142 million to...
        Portland police shut down cold case unit to reinforce homicide...
        Living in the ashes
    • Tech
      • Illinois police unveil new technology, more body cameras to promote...
        High-tech policing
        Open-source investigations
        Virginia lawmakers lift ban on the use of facial recognition...
        Iowa State University simulation training module offers de-escalation...
    • Training
      • “The hidden danger is the water”
        Weapon retention
        Developing trauma-informed training and drills for K–12 schools
        Crime prevention training
        So you want to be a civilian firearms trainer?
    • Policy
      • Ohio resolution asks lawmakers to ride along with police to gain...
        New Jersey governor proposes police licensing plan to boost...
        New York court suspends familial DNA searching by law enforcement
        New Jersey Supreme Court weighs in on police marijuana impairment...
        Court says man arrested for making fake P.D. Facebook page did not...
    • Health/Wellness
      • Police departments look to expand chaplain programs to provide...
        What anxiety is — and what not to do about it
        Supporting a partner in crisis
        Spiritual resilience
        Overcoming relationship communication challenges
    • Community
      • Pennsylvania police introduce civilian response team to answer...
        LGBTQ police officers allowed to participate in Denver PrideFest...
        California police department helps pay for families’ groceries as a...
        “I thought he was going to die”: 6-year-old calls police to save...
        Treated like royalty
    • Offbeat
      • Oops, wrong number! South Carolina drug dealer arrested after...
        Port Authority officers capture missing puppy that journeyed from...
        Nevada woman tries to fool police with fake license plate using...
        Maine police arrest man hiding under a blanket in ghost disguise
        Texas burglar mows the lawn before fleeing police
    • We Remember
      • A living legacy
        Not in vain
        Honoring Fallen Heroes
        Florida law enforcement, legislators weigh whether to classify...
        National Law Enforcement Museum offers free Saturday admission for...
  • On the Job
    • “I don’t feel like a hero. I feel like I did my job”
      Louisiana wildlife officer rescues girl trapped underneath boat
      Detroit law enforcement agencies continue fight against freeway...
      Law enforcement agencies prepare for civil unrest following leaked...
      Arizona troopers find nearly 40 pounds of fentanyl pills and cocaine...
  • Labor
    • Illinois State Police announce lateral training program with added...
      The “great resignation” brings staffing troubles to Missouri law...
      NYPD overtime expected to surpass budget by over $142 million to...
      Portland police shut down cold case unit to reinforce homicide...
      Living in the ashes
  • Tech
    • Illinois police unveil new technology, more body cameras to promote...
      High-tech policing
      Open-source investigations
      Virginia lawmakers lift ban on the use of facial recognition...
      Iowa State University simulation training module offers de-escalation...
  • Training
    • “The hidden danger is the water”
      Weapon retention
      Developing trauma-informed training and drills for K–12 schools
      Crime prevention training
      So you want to be a civilian firearms trainer?
  • Policy
    • Ohio resolution asks lawmakers to ride along with police to gain...
      New Jersey governor proposes police licensing plan to boost...
      New York court suspends familial DNA searching by law enforcement
      New Jersey Supreme Court weighs in on police marijuana impairment...
      Court says man arrested for making fake P.D. Facebook page did not...
  • Health/Wellness
    • Police departments look to expand chaplain programs to provide...
      What anxiety is — and what not to do about it
      Supporting a partner in crisis
      Spiritual resilience
      Overcoming relationship communication challenges
  • Community
    • Pennsylvania police introduce civilian response team to answer...
      LGBTQ police officers allowed to participate in Denver PrideFest...
      California police department helps pay for families’ groceries as a...
      “I thought he was going to die”: 6-year-old calls police to save...
      Treated like royalty
  • Offbeat
    • Oops, wrong number! South Carolina drug dealer arrested after...
      Port Authority officers capture missing puppy that journeyed from...
      Nevada woman tries to fool police with fake license plate using...
      Maine police arrest man hiding under a blanket in ghost disguise
      Texas burglar mows the lawn before fleeing police
  • We Remember
    • A living legacy
      Not in vain
      Honoring Fallen Heroes
      Florida law enforcement, legislators weigh whether to classify...
      National Law Enforcement Museum offers free Saturday admission for...
  • Between the Lines
    • Persecution of the LEO is Classic Schadenfreude
      The Rule of Law is Worthless Without Order
      School policing: a paradox of the defund movement
      Defending the honor of the LE profession – finally!
      The dichotomy of the defund movement: reality setting in
  • About
  • The Magazine
  • Events
  • Partners
  • Products
  • Advertise
  • Contact
Search

Community

Gas theft is on the rise as fuel prices soar

APB Team Published March 17, 2022 @ 3:00 pm PDT

iStock.com/KLAPHAT

Law enforcement agencies across the country are warning about an increase in gas theft as fuel prices soar to historic levels at the pump.

In Portland, Oregon, police have already reported several incidents of gas siphoning from vehicles.

“We are concerned it could continue to happen and we might see a trend,” Sergeant Kevin Allen, a spokesperson for the Portland Police Bureau, told KCBY 11. “Sometimes, thieves will get under the car and either drill a hole into the tank or get into the gas line and drain the fuel that way.”

However, the act of drilling a hole near a gas tank can be extremely dangerous.

“If someone is using a drill to drill into someone’s gas tank, you’re risking sparks that could generate a fire or even an explosion,” Allen warned.

In Sacramento, California, police say thieves broke into a parking lot and used power tools to drill holes in the gas tanks of nine vehicles to siphon gas.

Police in Wisconsin reported a similar incident that occurred at a car dealership.

But it’s not just personal vehicles that are being targeted. In Houston, thieves stole fuel directly from a gas station; they used a rubber object to manipulate the pulser at a pump and got away with about a half-tank of gas. The thieves were later arrested.

In Atlanta, a thief made off with thousands of dollars’ worth of gas in similar fashion but was also later arrested.

The Everett Police Department in Washington State released a warning on social media urging the public to keep their cars parked indoors or in a secure area.

“The cost of damage to the gas tank far exceeds that of the gasoline and we recommend that you park your vehicle in a garage or well-lit and high traveled area to help deter would-be thieves. If you see or hear and suspicious activity near your vehicle, call 911 right away,” the post read.

Allen said drivers should be vigilant and recognize tell-tale signs that their gas tank has been tampered with, such as the smell of gasoline around your car, a pool of gas underneath the car or fragments of metal on the ground.

He also echoed advice from the Everett police.

“It’s not like something you can smash a window and take out, like you could inside a car; this is something that takes work. it takes time. So if you’re parked in an area with more people, it’s going to be harder for that thief to commit that crime,” he said.

The steps to protect one’s car are similar to those advised by law enforcement amid the rise in catalytic converter thefts, which skyrocketed since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Categories: Community Tags: Law Enforcement, gas theft, gas prices, siphoning gas, Portland Police Bureau, vehicles, gas station, power tools, nation, Kevin Allen

Primary Sidebar

Recent Articles

  • Ohio resolution asks lawmakers to ride along with police to gain deeper understanding of law enforcement
  • Illinois State Police announce lateral training program with added incentives to attract candidates
  • “I don’t feel like a hero. I feel like I did my job”
  • New Jersey governor proposes police licensing plan to boost accountability
  • Louisiana wildlife officer rescues girl trapped underneath boat
  • Statement of Sonoma County Sheriff Candidate Dave Edmonds in reply to article in Santa Rosa Press Democrat
  • Oops, wrong number! South Carolina drug dealer arrested after mistakenly texting deputy
  • Police departments look to expand chaplain programs to provide spiritual counseling to traumatized officers
  • Port Authority officers capture missing puppy that journeyed from Brooklyn to New Jersey
  • Nevada woman tries to fool police with fake license plate using Cracker Jack stickers

Footer

Our Mission
To serve as a trusted voice of the nation’s law enforcement community, providing informative, entertaining and inspiring content on interesting and engaging topics affecting peace officers today.

Contact us: info@apbweb.com

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram

Categories

  • Editor’s Picks
  • On the Job
  • Labor
  • Tech
  • Training
  • Policy
  • Health/Wellness
  • Community
  • Offbeat
  • We Remember
  • Jobs and Careers
  • Events

Editor’s Picks

The power of teamwork

The power of teamwork

July 23, 2021

Stay awake and alert on the job

Stay awake and alert on the job

July 20, 2021

The worst rank in law enforcement

The worst rank in law enforcement

July 19, 2021

Firearms maintenance

Firearms maintenance

July 04, 2021

Privacy Policy | Copyright © 2022 APB Media, LLC | Website design, development and maintenance by 911MEDIA

Open

Subscribe

Close
Receive the latest news and updates from American Police Beat directly to your inbox!
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.