Petrol theft is rising across South Australia, with drive-offs jumping 30 per cent in a week as more motorists struggle with escalating fuel costs. Reports increased from 162 last week to 221 this week, and almost half of those incidents involved alleged first-time offenders.
In a move drawing criticism from parts of the industry, South Australia’s Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said investigators will no longer prioritise crimes that could be prevented by retailers, encouraging service stations to move to prepaid fuel systems. “With the cost-of-living pressures that people are dealing with, the significant increases in fuel costs, we will see more petrol drive-offs in the weeks to come,” Commissioner Stevens said.
He argued the change is about directing limited resources where they are most needed. “I can’t compel the retail fuel sector to take these steps, but what I can do is manage how police deal with these offences,” he said. “It bogs us down in investigations that we should not have to undertake.”
Service station operators and industry representatives have raised concerns about the message it could send. “We certainly don’t want that messaging getting out to people that says, I can do this and get away with it, because it won’t be investigated. That’s a problem,” Motor Trade Association’s Darrell Jacobs said.
Many operators also prefer not to adopt a pay-before-you-pump model, saying in-store purchases help them keep fuel prices competitive and that customers value having a choice.
Authorities are also warning motorists to stay alert to the possibility of criminals siphoning fuel directly from vehicles as prices rise. Unleaded petrol has climbed another 10 cents in the past 24 hours, adding fresh pressure to household budgets across the state.
