motorists are being urged to "shop" forecourt thieves.
Rewards are being offered to people whose information leads to the arrest of suspects.
Petrol stations across the district will display "Name, Shame and Claim" posters as part of the campaign, which follows an increase nationally in forecourt crime.
advertisement
The crackdown is a joint initiative between West Yorkshire Police, Crimestoppers and the British Oil Security Syndicate (BOSS) and Petrol Retailers Association.
A survey by BOSS - whose members include Esso, BP, Shell, Texaco and Total - showed that losses due to forecourt crime rose by 13 per cent in 2007 and the increase is expected to be even greater this year.
West Yorkshire Police crime reduction officer Jacquie Thomas said: "It's not just a case of people making off with a full tank of petrol. Many organised criminals have converted cars and even vans to hold large tanks in the back, which they then fill with petrol before making off without paying. The likelihood is that this fuel is then sold or used by other criminals.
"With Name, Shame and Claim' we're urging people to report those responsible."
Sgt Gary Howarth, regional co-ordinator for Crimestoppers, said: "People can be reluctant to call the police but can call Crimestoppers anonymously and in complete confidence.
"We would urge anyone who witnesses forecourt crime to contact us on 0800 555111. If the call leads to a successful arrest the caller could receive anything between £100 and £1,000 for their help in tackling forecourt crime."
BOSS regional co-ordinator John Turtle said forecourt crime was a serious issue that damaged business and could affect local communities.
He added: "The efforts of the industry to work in partnership with organisations, such as Crimestoppers and police forces, around the country are indeed making an impact and this initiative with police locally is a
further step in the battle to reduce forecourt crime."
Methods already used by police in the district to tackle the problem include automatic number-plate recognition vehicles and CCTV and training in preventative measures is given to petrol station staff.
If you liked this article and would like to share it with others on the web who might be searching for good content we've made it easy for you to do it.
At the bottom of all articles, you'll see links to six sites. These sites - commonly called 'social bookmark' or 'social news' sites - have large communities of web users who share and rate interesting, useful and fun things on the web.
Clicking the links will automatically add the address of the story you are reading to one of these sites, letting you share it with others. Each site will ask you to register to share stories. Registration is free and once a member, you can store, recommend and search for stories that interest you.
Print
Email this
Comment
