Sask. Police Chiefs support pre-pay fuel regulation
The President of the Saskatchewan Association of Chiefs of Police said a rule requiring fuel sales be pre-paid would keep retailers safe while saving police forces valuable time and resources.
Marlo Pritchard, chief of the Weyburn Police Service and president of the provincial chiefs’ organization, said new regulations requiring pre-payment are being discussed in Alberta where at least one worker was killed while attempting to prevent a fuel theft. Pritchard said Saskatchewan’s police chiefs would absolutely support a similar regulation in Saskatchewan, as fuel theft is a common practice across the province.
“Every police service still gets calls, probably on a daily basis, of somebody either forgetting to pay or more likely stealing gas,” Pritchard said.
Pritchard said a law or regulation would be a good step, but also encouraged private retailers to be proactive and move towards a pre-payment model on all fuel sales. Although someone may occasionally make an innocent mistake by driving away without paying, Pritchard said it still takes a great deal of time and effort from police to track down the suspects and determine the circumstances. By simply updating their technology, Pritchard said fuel retailers can save headaches for both themselves and local police.