Area gas stations reporting increased drive-offs

Record-high gas prices are leading to more drive-offs at the pump.

According to police reports, 66 gas drive-offs were reported in May, making it the busiest month for drive-offs since October. April had the second most with 53 reports.

The most drive-offs occurred at Rhodes 101 stores at 1126 N. Sprigg St. and 1624 N. Kingshighway and the Jasper's at 10 S. West End Blvd., according to Cape Girar-deau police reports.

Keith Beller, spokesman for Rhodes 101, said the increased number of drive-offs is "absolutely related" to the gas-price increase the state has seen in recent months.

After reaching a record peak of $3.24 per gallon in late May, regular unleaded gas prices hovered just below $3 per gallon at most area stores Monday. Overall in Missouri, gas prices are up 17 percent from a year ago, according to www.missourigasprices.com.

The Web site's figures come from data provided by more than 15,000 drivers a day, according to company representative Jason Toews.

Lindsay Lawrence, who works at Rhodes 101 on North Sprigg Street, said employees try to keep track of each car that fills up at the store.

"We make efforts to write every license plate down," Lawrence said.

"Drive-offs are a financial concern for our company, but the bigger concern is safety," Beller said. "People tend to be more aggressive when they drive off and come tearing out of the station. We're just afraid someone will get hurt."

"There's not a high success rate in tracking drive-offs down," Beller said. "We'd love to see a pre-pay ordinance enacted by the city."

Cape Girardeau police chief Carl Kinnison said Rhodes 101 contacted him about the possibility of enacting such an ordinance.

"Sometimes retailers resist transition to all pre-pay sales," Kinnison said. "Kansas City passed such an ordinance, though, and everyone I've talked to there says it seemed to go over pretty well."

"We think that, from a law enforcement perspective, it would be a great crime-prevention tool," Kinnison said.

Cpl. Jason Selzer of the Cape Girardeau Police Department said tracking down drive-offs depends on good information from gas station employees.

"We take the report over the phone," Selzer said. "If they've got a plate, great, but most of the time they've only got a vehicle description, no plate."

Selzer said the police response improves based on how quickly the station attendant makes the report.

"If they wait up to five minutes to make the call, it gets harder," Selzer said. Selzer said that if the plates check out and the car is registered to an address in the city limits, officers try to make contact. Often the car is registered elsewhere, however, and police have to contact law enforcement in those areas to try to reach the suspect.

Selzer said many suspects often report forgetting to pay for the gas.

"If they agree to go pay their bill, the stations are usually not interested in pressing charges," Selzer said.

Selzer said that if a claim is disputed, police gather evidence in the case and have station employees try to identify the suspect through mug shots.

"It's really a tough crime to catch," Selzer said. "It wouldn't be one of our higher clearance rates. Even with the higher gas prices, the offense is still a misdemeanor."

Some drivers leaving without paying have been tracked down, however.

Edward L. Atchison of Jackson was arrested May 12 and charged with stealing $67 worth of gasoline from the Jasper's at 3618 E. Jackson Blvd. in Jackson, according to Lt. Rodney Barnes of the Jackson Police Department.

Atchison reportedly was followed by the store's manager after he drove off from the store.

The manager tracked Atchison to a Cape Girardeau gas station and got Atchison's license plate number.

After the manager's call, Cape Girardeau police detained him at the gas station until Jackson police arrived to make the arrest.

Atchison is scheduled to appear in court June 25, according to local court documents.

pwylie@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127