DECATUR, IL – Police in Decatur, Ill., report gasoline thefts are on the rise and sometimes involve hundreds of dollars worth of fuel, according to the Herald & Review. Thieves — who are targeting fleet vehicles, large vans, or trucks — cut the filler hose to the gas tank and siphon out the fuel, bypassing any locking gas line caps. Not only is the gasoline lost, but the vehicles are damaged as well. Due to the large quantities of gas being stolen, police and business owners think that thieves are using an electric pump and a truck with a 500-gallon tank. The Decatur School District’s maintenance fleet has been a target, as well as local businesses. Svendsen Auto Repair and Budget Rental have recently had thieves steal gas from Budget rental trucks that were dropped off after the business closed, with the required full tanks before rental turn-in, the report said.
Gasoline Theft From Fleet Vehicles on Rise
DECATUR, IL – Police in Decatur, Ill., report gasoline thefts are on the rise and sometimes involve hundreds of dollars worth of fuel, according to the Herald & Review. Thieves — who are targeting fleet vehicles, large vans, or trucks — cut the filler hose to the gas tank and siphon out the fuel, bypassing any locking gas line caps. Not only is the gasoline lost, but the vehicles are damaged as well.
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