Alberta Police Call for Pay-First Gas Pumps

Thanks to an increase in fuel theft, the Association of Police Chiefs wants to mandate prepay pumps.

June 02, 2011

EDMONTON, ALBERTA - In response to a growing number of gas drive offs, the Alberta Association of Police Chiefs has called for mandatory pay-first pumps across the province, the Edmonton Journal reports.

"It??s high time somebody has followed through on (the) issue," Edmonton Police Association president Tony Simioni said.

Simioni said significant resources are spent investigating fuel thefts, and that prepay would free up the police to focus on other issues.

"Police resources are a valuable commodity. If we could assign that time into other issues, that??s a win for everyone," he said.

While many gas stations have cameras installed, some station owners said the video equipment isn??t always reliable in capturing license plate numbers. Additionally, Simioni said gas thieves often use stolen license plates or block plates from security cameras.

Shell Canada opposes a prepay system, citing an inconvenience factor for its customers.

"We??re not in favor of it because our customers aren??t," said Jeff Gabert, a Shell Canada spokesperson.

While major station chains have credit card and Interac (debit) capability at every pump, smaller stations require transactions to go through an attendant. For those stations, the prepay system means motorists must leave a credit card with the attendant or determine the amount of money to spend ahead of time.

Alberta Employment and Immigration spokesperson Sorcha Thomas said the government has no immediate plans to implement prepayment at gas stations.

"We believe there are other effective ways to protect workers," Thomas said. "Businesses can make choices that work best for them."

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