Several drive-off gas thefts occurred over the weekend, prompting police to investigate an uptick in these incidents. Sergeant Tyler McMillen explained that while this is not a common occurrence, it does happen.
“We periodically get gas drive-offs, and the majority of them are cases where cards didn’t work at the pumps or similar issues,” said McMillen. “In many instances, we can contact the registered owner if we have the plate. They are usually good about coming to clear them up.”
He noted that they are seeing a slight increase in these types of thefts. “Therefore, we are investigating them and trying to locate the perpetrators. Recently, we’ve had one incident involving an Alberta-plated vehicle and others with a Manitoba plate. Those cases are actively under investigation.”
There was some talk of gas tanks being tampered with over the weekend; however, McMillen said no formal complaints had been filed.
“If people have experienced this, we would like them to call it in. There’s a chance we might get lucky and find video surveillance in the area, or at least we can map out where it’s happening.”
He emphasized that if anyone has had gas siphoned or suspects it, they should report it.
“Sometimes we can’t locate the thieves, but at least it allows us to know where it’s happening, and we can allocate resources to those areas.”
Police encourage the public to report any suspicious activity.