Ramsey County creates gas siphoning report line

by Greta Cunningham, Minnesota Public Radio

St. Paul, Minn. — The Ramsey County Sheriff's office says there are more cases of people siphoning gas from cars, and it's asking the public for help.

Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher is asking citizens to help law enforcement officials identify gas siphoning suspects.

His office has set up a gas siphoning report line to help sheriff's deputies track the thefts. The theft patterns will help law enforcement develop prevention strategies and apprehend suspects.

Gas siphoning is difficult to track. Many citizens are not even sure if they have been victimized.

In January, the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office began a new program designed to identify and prosecute people who fill up at a gas station and leave without paying.

Through a secure website linking the service stations directly to the Sheriff's Office, stations can report information about the offender's vehicle as the gas drive-off occurs.

The Sheriff's Office then investigates these cases for prosecution.