Gas thefts on the rise in Greater Sudbury

The price of gas has some opting not to pay at the pumps -- or even for their gasoline at all.

The Greater Sudbury Police Service said Monday it's noticed an increase in the number of gas thefts so far this year compared to 2021.

"In 2022 alone, the first three months of 2022, there have been 35 reported in comparison to 32 for all of 2021, so we've seen a dramatic increase in the first three months of 2022," said police spokesperson Kaitlyn Dunn.

Dunn said they've been receiving online reports after the gas has already been stolen. In the reports, they've been getting descriptions of the person, the vehicle, even CCTV footage from where the theft occurred.

"A theft of gas is considered a theft under $5,000 and this could carry a maximum sentence of up to two years in prison. It is a criminal code offence," she said.

Police have been contacting gas station employees to teach them what to do if such an event occurs, as well as owners about preventative measures. They're recommending stations implement 'pay before' systems in hopes of clamping down on such acts.

Dunn said if you see something happening, you should never try to stop it in progress but rather call police.

"It is very hard to consider what is the exact driving factor in this, but you can consider the correlation with the increase of gas prices and the increase in the number of thefts reported," she said.

New Sudbury continues to be one of the hardest hit areas. Of the 111 across the city reported in the last two years, 45 of them were along Lasalle Boulevard.