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The Daily Tar Heel

New Law to Stiffen Penalty for Stealing Gas

But some local gas station employees are expressing mixed feelings about the effectiveness of newly beefed-up legislation.

A bill, which was signed into law by Gov. Mike Easley on Aug. 13, will make the penalty for stealing gasoline from a commercial entity a class 1 misdemeanor.

The bill also includes a provision that allows the Division of Motor Vehicles to take away the driver's license of an offender for second and subsequent convictions.

This bill was initiated in February in response to the increase in the number of statewide drive-offs, said Sen. Kay Hagan, D-Guilford, who co-sponsored the bill along with 12 other state senators.

"With the rising price of gasoline (in Feb.), the gas owners noticed a large number of drive-offs," Hagan said.

"They felt this would be more of a threat if the punishment was higher."

Sen. Virginia Foxx, R-Watauga, who also co-sponsored the bill, said the law should effect the rate of drive-offs as the penalties are enforced.

"I hope that if they (steal gasoline), that some people will be prosecuted and (the case) will get publicity," Foxx said. "It, then, will act as a deterrent to stealing gasoline."

Despite the steady drop in gasoline prices, Hagan said the ongoing economic slowdown could result in an increase in gasoline theft for a separate reason.

"The economy is not as good and a lot of people go and steal gas," Hagan said.

Although the penalties might be greater, some said this might not deter would-be offenders.

Gandhi Bilit, manager of Eagle Food Mart located at 11620 U.S. 15-501 in Chapel Hill, said the hardest part of catching drive-off offenders is getting their license plate number.

Often the gas station attendant reports the number to the police, only to hear that the offenders' license plates are fake. "(The bill) might not be effective," Bilit said. "If you catch somebody, only then can you convict him."

Foxx added that gas stealing is especially harmful to smaller business owners.

"It's a terrible thing to do; they're hurting small business people," she said. "Most people think gas station owners make a lot of money. They think that they are ripping off rich people, but they're not."

But some area service station workers said the local impact of the bill could be minimal.

Tommy Summy, a clerk at Walker's BP Service, located at 1500 E. Franklin St., said few drive-off incidents occur at his store during the year.

"They are few and far between," Summy said. "I don't remember one in the last couple months."

Despite the legislation, Bilit claimed that curbing gasoline theft might be outside the realm of the law.

"The problem remains that people drive off," Bilit continued.

"There is no bill that can stop that."

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The City Editor can be reached

at citydesk@unc.edu.

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