Sudbury gas 'drive-offs' this year already surpass 2021 figure

Gas stations in Greater Sudbury have experienced more fuel thefts so far this year than all of 2021, according to the Greater Sudbury Police Service.

GSPS figures show there were 44 reported gasoline thefts in 2020 and 32 in 2021. Over the first two-and-a-half months of 2022, there have already been 35 reports of fuel theft within the city.

"As we've seen the cost of gas increase since January, the number has drastically increased when it comes to thefts of gas," said GSPS spokesperson Kaitlyn Dunn.

Dunn said the police force contacts gas stations across the city to share preventive measures, such as requiring users to prepay before fueling. She said officers review surveillance footage to find out what kind of car was involved or what their licence plate was, and use that information to determine who the driver was.

"We understand that as the gas prices increase, it is becoming extremely costly for individuals to gas up their vehicles. However, a theft of gas is a criminal offence and it could carry a maximum penalty of up to two years in prison," Dunn said.

Gas station manager concerned

Fuel theft is not a new challenge for Gurdit Singh Johal, who has managed Mobil and Victory Convenience in Garson since it opened in December 2020. However, he agreed that theft rates have been much higher this year, reaching a total of eight so far at his store—including four in one week.

"We, as a local business, you know, we have to pay attention on each and every thing," Singh Johal said. "It really affects our business."

Any losses cut into the store's revenue, he said, which is tougher on his single-store operation because there are fewer chances to offset those losses, as opposed to chains.

Near the start of the recent price hikes, Singh Johal said he had as many as four thefts within one week. Thieves will often steal upwards of $200 or more in fuel, often premium grade. 

Some gas thieves arrive with fake or removed licence plates; one even filled jerrycans and reportedly hit several gas stations in the city.

No perfect solutions

Drive-offs can sometimes be a result of system errors, Singh Johal said, such as when a transaction fails to go through but the pumps still function. In those cases, some people return and pay for their fuel. Singh Johal said half of this year's drive-offs have eventually returned to pay.

He said he's tried measures to reduce thefts like making pumps prepay only, as Dunn had suggested. However, this upset many customers such as those who prefer to pay cash inside. 

After a theft, gas station managers have few options aside from filing a police report and hoping there's enough evidence to track down the driver.

"It's really hard to get that money back," Singh Johal said. "We work really hard on a daily basis to make that much money."

Dunn was not immediately able to provide statistics on the success rate for drive-off investigations.